Back to work.

I return to the blog.  This trimester, I am teaching a new English course entitled nonfiction.  Last year, the three 12th grade teachers all taught homogeneous classes of British Literature.  Just when I began to find ways to make Beowulf accessible to non-readers, the curriculum changed to  electives.  Students now choose between Drama, Brit Lit and nonfiction.  Nonfiction certainly offers a wealth of possibilities but
the department did not have any extra funds for ordering new texts, so  I am photocopying a lot of material. 
In addition to this new course,  I am  trying to incorporate some of the RISC standards-based philosophy.  In short, I'm wrestling with a lot of new stuff.  I'm thinking now about requiring my students to read magazine articles and blog about  them weekly, so that they continue to meet or work on one of the required reading standards.  Stay tuned.

Catching up!

The great part of long road trips is that I can catch up on my reading.  I found the article "How to Write a Better Weblog" enjoyable and wish I had read it before writing my first blog.   My writing style tends to be conversational-chatty, and composing takes me a long time.  How can I expect my own students to write well while blogging if their own teacher struggles with maintaining clarity when writing quickly?
I'm still pondering what sort of blog might work in some of my classes.  As I mentioned before, the demand for computers in our school is high and access is limited.   I look forward to connecting with other teachers who have successfully integrated blogging into the classroom.

It's Too Darn Hot...

Still figuring out the blog, but finding a few moments to blab.  Typically, the template options are overwhelming.  So much to choose from.  Oh, if only I had the time to play with a background every day.  I just love all the colors.

A few comments about work:  It's hot hot hot.  My school has gone from
a block schedule with 80 minute classes every other day to 50 minute classes every day.  The heat  adds to the difficulty adjusting to this new schedule.   I look forward to reading others' experiences juggling the return to school and initiating the blog.

My first blog ever!

Here I am.  I wish I had more time to explore, but school starts tomorrow and
I must meditate...