Out of the Mouths of Seniors

Posted by on May 15, 2006 in dish | 0 comments The last page of my final exam is always a course evaluation. How can I improve unless I ask the kids, right? As usual, the course evaluations are always my favorite thing to read. They’re always a mix of encouragement (This is the best English class I’ve ever had!) and full-on smackdown (You need to get better control of your class). Either way, they’re great food for thought....
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Evil Research Papers

Posted by on May 3, 2006 in dish | 0 comments Man, the senior class is freaking out today–their research papers are due. From what I understand, my students are fanned out all over the school, pecking away like a bunch of chickens because they’re not clued in enough to do things ahead of time. Plus, the printer in my classroom has mysteriously gone on the blink and won’t print at all. (Read: I removed the toner...
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School Pix

Posted by on Sep 27, 2005 in dish | 0 comments I sent the kidlets off to school in their best, as it is picture day today. DS is stylin’ in his Hawaiian shirt (and rooster tail in the back of his head, I’m sure, despite the gel), while DD is twelve kinds of cute in a green–excuse me, “Frog”–sleeveless scoopneck (and bangs in her face, I’m sure, despite the gel). They’ll both photograph...
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Zoo Class

Posted by on Aug 30, 2005 in dish | 1 comment After school today, my new office partner and another new teacher and I were discussing the peculiar psychology of the “zoo class.” This is the one period of kids during the school day that can be counted on to act like marmosets on speed. Doesn’t matter what you do to them or with them, they are–as the kids at my school say–“off the chain.”My zoo class...
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Insult Added to Injury

Posted by on Aug 16, 2005 in dish | 0 comments Day 2 of workshop. Same as Day 1, different presenter. I have now heard the same information FOUR TIMES. I think I get it. I do have a college degree. Two, in fact.Grr.Our hot water heater is peeing all over our laundry room floor. It’s been like this for a while, and we can’t do much about it, since teachers have NO money at the end of the summer. So we slog through wet, do lots of...
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