Previously I have posted about the Middle-L e-mail listserv. I am again recommending it, especially for newer teachers, and those interested in education policy and the “big picture.” As I said before, sometimes you’ll go days without seeing anything new, but all you have to do is introduce yourself, and ask questions, and you’ll get answers and suggestions from some pretty intelligent and talented people. One of those people is Marion Brady. In fact, he’s the main reason I’m still a subscriber. Just Google “Marion Brady” and you’ll see why. He just had a column printed in the Washington Post that, as usual, hits the nail(s) on the head. I won’t reprint the whole thing here (even though Marion wouldn’t mind – he just wants the ideas out there), because I think you should also read the commentary after. Here are some choice excerpts. False Assumption 1: America’s teachers deserve most of the blame for decades of flat school performance. Other factors affecting learning—language problems, hunger, stress, mass media exposure, transience, cultural differences, a sense of hopelessness, and so on and on—are minor and can be overcome by well-qualified teachers. To teacher protests that they’re scapegoats taking the blame for
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OK. We’re down to 9 days. We start in the middle of the week because our district is moving to – after two union-wide votes – a two-week spring break. I voted against it for just this starting-too-early-in-August-shtuff (among other reasons), but truth be told, I’m sort of itching to get back to work. It keeps me out of trouble. Though I am quite enjoying all the sleeping in. But ouch. Nine days. As I have said, I’ve been getting e-mails with questions, and over the next week or so, I’ll be covering more of those topics (600 words, more KBAR, grading essays). This will get me in the groove for the rapidly approaching school year, and that’s a necessary thing. Meanwhile, here’s a presentation from a guest speaker whom I respect very much. I “met” him through an e-mail listserv. Old school, I know. I signed up for the Middle-L listserv about 4 or 5 years ago as part of one of the requirements for the EETT grant we got back then. I’ve stuck around ever since. The list might go days or weeks with any action, but I’ve enjoyed reading almost everything that gets posted. My fave contributor
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This afternoon, I asked my friend and colleague, in his experiences with junior high, how many times he could remember seeing two seventh grade boys hugging. Sincerely. “Like a man-hug, or a real one?” “What’s a man hug?” “You know, you start out with the soul shake, and then you pull in and sorta bump chests, and then the other hand sorta slaps the back.” “Not that kind.” “Ummm. None.” “I knew it. It was a first for me too!” Milk and Cheese, the “True That” boys, were at it again. They were moving their desks closer together (again), like they like to do, and jabbering nonsense. Nothing major, and technically it was before class, but I said, “Well the quarter does end Friday, and I change up the seating chart every quarter, so next week I get to move you guys far, far apart.” One of our recent vocabulary words was crestfallen. I should have taken a picture of them to use as an example. Milk holds out both arms pleadingly (and it if it wasn’t sincere, he should be an actor) and says, “But…But…But… What about The Team?” OMG. The class is dying. Half of them are happy [...]
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That reminds me of those great SNL skits about the Sofa King. You know, how the prices are "Sofa King" low, the deals are "Sofa King" great, etc. (You obviously have to say those phrases out loud to get the joke.)