Ten things that happen when the water main breaks Over the weekend, the local water protection district issues a “boil order” and ships pallets of water bottle cases to be stacked next to the water fountains on Monday morning. In any place other than a middle school, this would be a good thing.Continue reading “Welcome to My World: Boil Order at a Middle School”
Tag Archives: teaching
Dear Teachers: Avoid these so-called “educator’s kits” from the Church of Scientology
Try these human rights resources instead. I recently wrote a post on Medium and my sister blog called “Dear Parents: Scientology Wants to Get Inside Your Child’s Classroom” about how an organization known as Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) offers a human rights educator’s kit for teachers to use in their classrooms. Not realizingContinue reading “Dear Teachers: Avoid these so-called “educator’s kits” from the Church of Scientology”
Dear Teachers: Scientology wants to get inside your classroom.
And they don’t need Tom Cruise to do it. A year ago last fall, I scanned the first page of a glossy teacher’s guide, part of a free educator’s kit sent to me (at my request) from Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI), an organization I had discovered in an online search for some teachingContinue reading “Dear Teachers: Scientology wants to get inside your classroom.”
Here’s what happened when I submitted a student’s writing to a hunting magazine
Last fall, one of my seventh-grade students wrote an “Expert Advice” article, one of ten assignments in our Writer’s Workshop project list. My students seemed to like this particular assignment. They chose a topic they were familiar with and then wrote a how-to article. “Jared” wrote an article called “Four Ways Novice HuntersContinue reading “Here’s what happened when I submitted a student’s writing to a hunting magazine”
Dear Teachers: Thinking about the first day back at school after break?
So are your students and some of them can’t wait to see you. Even though you love your job, when you think about the first day back at school after Christmas break, you sigh. Ugh, right? Who wants to think about that? The kids certainly don’t. Let me clarify that. Some of the kids don’t wantContinue reading “Dear Teachers: Thinking about the first day back at school after break?”
My Seventh-Graders Told Me This: Everything’s Gonna Be Okay
The future of the country is in good — albeit small — hands. Just when you think the country is spiraling out of control due to natural disasters, political upheaval, and lone wolf violence, you read some words written by twelve- and thirteen-year-olds and you realize that kids will carry us through. In short,Continue reading “My Seventh-Graders Told Me This: Everything’s Gonna Be Okay”
It Bothers Me that Sept. 11 is Becoming “Historical” and in the Distant Past
I know the timing isn’t right on this post since 9/11 was last week, but I thought I would go ahead and reblog it here for future reference. I originally wrote it for my personal blog, http://www.marilynyung.wordpress.com
Reading about how to teach writing
It has its ups and downs I love reading books about the teaching of writing. It’s always so valuable to me to find ways to help kids love writing! Right now, I’m re-reading Real Revision by Kate Messner, a text chock-full of innovative strategies that real-life published authors use when they revise their own writing.Continue reading “Reading about how to teach writing”
Contest #5: Outdoor Writers Association’s Norm Strung Writing Awards
Here’s another writing contest for you to try with your students. The Outdoor Writers Association, based in Missoula, Montana, is an organization of writers, editors, broadcasters, photographers, film makers, and other communicators who are, according to OWAA’s website, “dedicated to sharing the outdoor experience.” The organization is involved in many outreach activities, including the NormContinue reading “Contest #5: Outdoor Writers Association’s Norm Strung Writing Awards”
We have a winner!
Student’s essay places second in national contest Congratulations to Elijah D., whose essay placed second in the Outdoor Writers Association of America’s Norm Strung Youth Writing Awards. Eli’s essay entitled “Natural Nostalgia” placed second in the nation in the junior prose category. He also received a check for $100. Eli graduated from Kirbyville Middle SchoolContinue reading “We have a winner!”