Category: 8th grade
Survivor is Back! Time for a Rerun.
It’s season #27 for Survivor. I have to admit I have seen pretty much every episode of every season. At two seasons a year, this is year 14. About 14 years ago, I remember reading a blurb in the paper (back when we still got a physical paper on the porch) about this new survival […]
Continue Reading...MAUS is back. (Rerun)
In my 20 years at this school, I have been stuck with 8th graders exactly three times. This is not one of those years, and since I am now the de facto “Introduction to Video Production” teacher, chances are that I won’t be again any time soon. Whew. Although I did consider asking for a […]
Continue Reading...The Cupcakes of Spurned Love Are For Sale
(Morning Update: I just remembered that after the boy was down to the last couple, he put them out for bid. He got 5 dollah for the last one.) Looks like I am going to have to pad this one out a bit, since the title pretty much sums up the post. The cupcakes were […]
Continue Reading...Still Here
I didn’t keep my December resolution…obviously. I haven’t had a working computer for two weeks now, and I HATE trying to type on my tablet. My new computer should be here in the next few days, and I will be able to unleash the torrent of posts that have been backing up. hahahahaha I am […]
Continue Reading...Junior High Rules; High School Drools — Part I
(I’m referring to teaching, of course, although the same is true for living through it, if only because it’s half as long. And I get to still say junior high instead of middle school because ours is still only a two year school.) I ended my previous post by saying that one of the biggest […]
Continue Reading...One Flood Over Cuckoo’s Nest
I thought eighth graders might be more…what’s the word I’m looking for? Not mature. God, no. I just thought that they MIGHT have a bit more savvy, maybe be a little more “together” than my seventh graders, many of whom still think they’re in elementary school and put only their first name on papers. No […]
Continue Reading...“We’re all weird!” (Again.)
Eighth Grade: Finished with Nothing But the Truth. Pretty much all of them liked it. I do only have one class of eighth graders, but for my first time through this book with students, I’m pretty stoked with the response. I’ve talked to some former students whom I thought would have liked the book, and […]
Continue Reading...Free Speech! (Also: Motor Trend)
First off: I’ve been a little scatter-brained lately. My PU’s 50th wedding anniversary party thing is this weekend, and we’re leaving tomorrow for my high school stomping grounds; the suburbs of Sacramento. My dad sent me a load of pics to put together into a slideshow for the party. Most all of them brought back […]
Continue Reading...Mailbag: Writing.
We had today off for some reason. All hail Columbus the Conqueror! I was camping down at beautiful Refugio State Beach. 85 and postcard perfect, right down to the dolphins frolicking 50 yards from the beach. Anyway I’m back, and one of our loyal readers needs a bit of collaboration. I don’t know how many […]
Continue Reading...I can’t believe I’m planning this…
What do you call a digression before you even begin? Anyway, you should go read Sara’s comment on my “learning styles” post from a couple of days ago. Then you’ll be in on the gag from here on out if I make any references to pudding. OK. This whole teaching eighth grade thing is sort […]
Continue Reading...8th Grade Material
Eight days in, and I’m still scrambling a little with having an 8th grade prep. The last time I had 8th grade was 7 years ago, and I was scrambling a bit then (the last round of 8th grade had been 11 years before that), plus I got a student teacher for the last third […]
Continue Reading...First Day of School Quiz!
OK. This time for real. Daily, baby. Well maybe… It seems like I wait longer and longer each year to get ready for school. We started today. I went in Monday and started hooking things up, but most of that day was spent in meetings, checking out our district’s latest software purchase, DataDirector (more on […]
Continue Reading...OH NOOOOOO! (Part I)
It’s never good news when your principal, as you’re rolling for home, says, “Can I get 5 minutes with you tomorrow morning…(wait a beat and a half)… about a scheduling issue?” (silently) What do you need me for? Scheduling is part of the counselors’ job…hmmmm. (aloud) “No worries. See you tomorrow.” One of my favorite […]
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