Is The World Too Much With You?
Everyday I see students enslaved to their phones continually updating a status, sending or receiving texts, or playing games. I could spend time lecturing them about how their overdependence on […]
You Could Have Said “Yes”
Once again the teacher is learning from the student. I never cease to be amazed by students and want to relay a story told by a National Honor Society officer […]
Why Writing is Important for non-English Majors
If there can be a National Ice Cream Day, National Sibling Day, National Coffee Day (which I celebrate daily), and National Bunsen Burner Day, why not have a National Writing […]
Why I Teach Books with Cursing and Sex (or Banned Books)
The Things They Carried Brave New World Of Mice and Men Walk in Room 128 on any given day, and my students could be reading these books. Add The Catcher in the […]
Is Failing Worse than Succeeding in Things that Don’t Matter?
Adults tend to think we will be the ones who teach children; after all we have the experience, wisdom, and age to back up what we know. Sometimes, however, we […]
The Case for Teaching Grammar
The following is a conversation via text with me (the names have been changed to protect my neighbor). Neighbor: Can you get me and Steve tickets to the football game […]
The Cons of Building a College Resume
I laughed for a long time when I saw this tweet by Maureen Downey, the education writer for the AJC, but then these words stopped me dead in my tracks: “Will […]
To My Former Students Who are Now in College (or Any College Student)
Dear College Students, Many of you have just begun classes or will start this week. For some of you, college is brand new while others are inching closer and closer […]
The Power of Speaking into the Lives of the Next Generation
Tomorrow is Miss Harriette McCarter’s 90th birthday. (Miss McCarter is in the plaid shirt and white pants) Most likely you do not know Miss McCarter, so pull up a chair […]
Trading my Ball Cap for School I.D.
Even though the temperature is still rising to the mid to upper 90s each day, the time has come to put away the shorts, swimsuit, and my beloved ball cap […]
Teach with Class 