Student Teaching

I just finished my student teaching! What an adventure! I learned several things. For instance, next year I am not going to let my students turn in late work. They will have until the Friday of the next week of the absence. Another thing I have learned is to make my class tougher. I had several students tell me class was very easy. I think by changing my late work policy, that will make the class harder. I will expect my students to work. Those students who come to class everyday on time will get a 4% grade boost at the end of the quarter.

There were many exciting events happen. I had a fight break out in my classroom the day the cooperating teacher decided to leave me alone. That scared my half to death. Then a couple of weeks later, I had a girl almost pass out.

When it comes to cheating, I have noticed that students today are more accepting of it. To them, it is okay to cheat as long as you don't get caught and even then, it is still okay. I am going to implement a harsh cheating policy. On the first offense, the student will get zero points for the test, quiz, assignment, etc. The second time this happens, the student will fail the quarter regardless if it is the same quarter as the first offense. If the student cheats a third time, they will be out of my class. Depending on the severity of the offense, I will contact the parents. If a student copied a paper right off the internet, I will let the parents know. Some students think cheating is collaborating, but it is not.

High school students are crazy. But that is okay as long as you can control them. I had a difficult time keeping the students quiet and on task, but I am not perfect. With time and practice, I will become better. I just need to take control better.

Wayne Booth Dies

Famous for his theory on literary friendship, Wayne C. Booth passes away Oct.21, 2005. Here is his obituary:

From the Associated Press

Wayne Booth

CHICAGO (AP) - Wayne Booth, a prominent literary critic and professor whose books are required reading at many universities, died Sunday. He was 84. Booth died at his home from complications of dementia, said Josh Schonwald, a spokesman for the University of Chicago, where Booth was a facult y member for more than four decades. Booth's "The Rhetoric of Fiction," published in 1961, is "the single most important American contribution to narrative theory - a book that continues to be read, taught and fought about," Bill Brown, chair of the English department, said in a statement. Other works include "A Rhetoric of Irony" in 1974 and 1988's "The Company We Keep," an influential book on the ethics of fiction. Booth joined the University of Chicago in 1962 after teaching at Haverford College and Earlham College. He also served as dean of the university's undergraduate division from 1964 to 1969. He retired in 1992.

Rosa Parks dies today at the age of 92. What a great woman she was. She did a lot for the Civil Rights movement.

To a Louse

Have you known any louse's in your lifetime? I'm not talking about bugs. People who is worthless or contemptable are called louses.

What did your Grandparents really have to say about you?

If you were reading aloud a grandparents or parents journal years down the road, and you came across a something that could be potentially harmful to the people who were listening, would you censor it or read it? Is changing the text to fit the audience ethical?

Creating a Post

Anyone can create a post on when you read something interesting. Don't wait for me.

Nathaniel Hawthorne: The House of the Seven Gables

The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne uses Clifford Pyncheon and Hepzibah Pyncheon as the main characters of the novel. I think they represent the changing times. The orginal house was small, however through the years the house grew and evolved. The house is symbolic of the evolution of the Pyncheon family. Clifford and Hepzibah are the members who break free of the mold that Colonel Pyncheon set for them. Phoebe is the one to break the 200 year old curse. When "Alice's Posies" bloom after the big storm, it symbolizes the changes and the birth of a new Pyncheon family.