In the late 1990s, I walked away from Mock Trial in large part due to the arbitrary nature of the judging in our competitions. I’ll write more about that specifically in another entry, but the gist is that we would handily beat another team in my estimation, but the result would be a loss and …
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Guest Blogger Peter McDade: Mind the Gap(s)
Peter McDade is friend, songwriting partner, two-time interview subject, and fellow educator. He’s got a thing or two to say about a thing or two. I went to public school, my husband went to public school, and like most of the fervent liberals I know, we both believe that an effective school system is one …
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Tuesday Talk… with Molly Armus
Hard to believe that it’s been 15 years since Molly graced my AP US History class. She was a beacon of relentless positivity, intelligence, and consistency whose written work and insightful participation were of equal quality. DId you grow up entirely in Hillsborough? What are your memories of early (pre-high school) childhood? Yes, I was …
US History: Bill of Rights Memes
My 17-year-old daughter occasionally shows me memes and I often either say, “I don’t get it,” or just pretend that I do and smile and nod. I thought it was her, but I’m starting to understand it’s generational. There’s more to unpack here, but I don’t really want to use this space to launch into …
Ireland 2006: Give Ireland Back to the Irish
26 June 2005 – 27 June 2006 Disclaimer: Rather than spend my entire trip writing in my journal, my approach is to take notes and later develop the notes into prose. Although it’s less than a wholly genuine take on my feelings moment to moment, it’s my preferred approach. My memory is too porous to …
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Week in Review (January 12-18, 2020)
Sunday – I spent much of the weekend on the computer doing a variety of school-related things. You know, like most people do, spend their entire weekend working? Right? Hello? Is this thing on? The last week saw a couple of significant epiphanies for me that will change the direction of my remaining years in …
Guest Blogger: Katy Boemer-Abbott
Katy wasn’t my student when she wrote her visual essay (she was in Rob Longo’s class), but I now have her in my AP Gov class. She’s a bright, upbeat person who is a pleasure to have in class. The topic was race in America after 1870. The possibilities were endless. The assignment was a …
Move Over XFL Redux, Where’s the SCFL II?
Back in the days when I was still a little bit agile, mobile, and dexterous, during lunch one spring day I came across some students playing two-hand touch with a Nerf football in the old senior courtyard. That’s the space in between the main hallway and the art wing. At some point I was asked …
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Global Compliance Network: A Mystery Monopoly
Many years ago, staff members in Hillsborough would receive a number of trainings at our department meetings: sexual harassment, bullying, affirmative action, and the like. These trainings were mandated by law, and in many cases appropriately so. A teacher recognizing the signs of drug abuse or physical abuse could literally save someone’s life. I’m not …
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Tuesday Talk… with Toby Kansagor
When I began teaching in 1993, I had an official mentor in Bernadette Coyle, and an unofficial mentor in Toby Kansagor. Both women provided me advice when I asked for it, and every once in awhile gently guided me with a deft comment or question. Over the years Toby became more than a mentor, but …
Fenster on Education 