In my AP US Government and Politics class I used to have my students have a class discussion about the issue of whether the United States was a meritocracy, based largely on a 2011 article from Time magazine on upward mobility. The discussion was usually pretty good, but I often saw the students twist themselves …
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Bob Watches Too Much TV and Does Not Read Enough
The following list represents shows that I’ve watched at least one full season of. I don’t feel comfortably rating shows that I haven’t watched enough episodes of, although if I’ve abandoned them, my impression would have been a “1” or a “2.” My opinions are, of course, wholly subjective — and naturally, 100% accurate. The …
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Week in Review (January 5-11, 2020)
This has been a whirlwind of a week. At times I took a battering, but I’ve got thicker skin, and the best people I know are looking out for me. Sunday – Not really sure what I did on Sunday and didn’t think to jot anything down. I definitely did a bunch of school work, …
Guest Blogger: Sophia Naumovski, HHS 2021
Very early on in our class last year, I recognized that Sophia was going to be one of my top students. Sure, her work ethic was flawless with a great attention to detail, but any time she had a chance to write something, I was super impressed by her thought processes. I would typically save …
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Garnished!
I don’t remember exactly when or where is started, but I do know when and where it was perfected: late January 2005 in San Francisco. I’m talking — of course — about the sacred rite of garnishing. What, you’ve never heard of garnishing? Developed by the Matt Korostoff and Kevin Larsen, it’s a restaurant game …
Technology in the Classroom
When I began teaching in 1993, technology in the classroom consisted of a television and VCR on a cart — and although they were amusingly dated, the occasional slide projector and record player. A few years later we received desktop computers and most classroom had individual printers. At some point the decision was made to …
Tuesday Talk… with Charlie Kratovil
Charlie Kratovil, Class of 2003, appeared in my classroom one day like he’d fallen out of a bizarro world comic book (see the penultimate question) and very quickly became a central figure in my life over the next three years through classes, extracurricular activities including his stand-up comedy, and beyond. When my first daughter was …
US History: From the Articles to Shays Rebellion
I am a firm believer that a little lecture now and then is a good thing, and that the tree of knowledge must be refreshed by the endurance of the teacher and the students. Here is my Google Slides presentation for the first day of the calendar year, serving as both a refresher of the …
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France 2005 Journal: Give Paris One More Chance!
5 July 2005 – 6 July 2005 I’m filled with mixed emotions about this trip. The 2002 trip featured some of the most extreme situations, from the memorable day at Pointe du Hoc to the repeated confrontations with Satan’s stepmother. As Lily gets older, it’s becoming more painful to stay away from home for any …
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Resolutions for the New Year
I don’t typically do New Year’s resolutions, but I’m not sure a “week in review” when I only had two days of school will be that compelling, particularly since I’ve shared the two-day lesson for AP Government already, and last week’s Saturday entry was the year in review. I will try to keep it brief …
Fenster on Education 