I recently received the email below from a colleague and friend. It caused me much sadness and not a little anger. Debbie Franks, Editor Hi There, This whole morning thing just ick. Our instructional coach has delusions of grandeur and a superiority complex. Ugh. To sum up the morning our instructional coach had the audacity to […]
At the alternative high school in a midwestern city where I’d been working for five years, I had developed a unit on social activism through letter writing, introducing my students to various issues in the U.S. and around the world in which I’d hoped they’d take an interest and feel moved to speak out. Each […]
In the late 60’s, the Federal government was pushing the Teacher Corps program. In return for a two year commitment to teach in inner city schools, you would receive a tuition free Master’s degree in urban education in evening classes. I was finishing my year as a Vista Volunteer in West Virginia, and the thought […]
Dee was a firecracker, full of attitude and energy. She had a smile that lit up the room and the self-confident swagger of a seasoned stage professional. We were eating from the palm of her hand the moment she took the stage. There was no question that Dee would play the part of Addaperle, the […]
The boy was so irritating to me. He was often sent to me in my role as disciplinarian. Last year it seemed that only I could calm him down, reason enough with him to get him to go back to class, and get him to focus at least minimally. This year, his behavior was better, […]
Typical of the graduates from the alternative high school where I taught for a handful of years were Calvin and Sondra, who visited many times after graduating, seeming to have few other places to go. In his second year as a senior, after years of our cajoling him through his fear of the future or […]