When Yannick walked into my office on Thursday, his first words were, "Miss, do you remember me?"

I did.  He's in my Travel Literature class, but I hadn't seen him in almost 2 months.  He hadn't written any of his required blog posts.  He'd showed up to do his (half-assed) oral… Read full post »

Today might seem like a bad day.  But it isn't.

1.  I'm getting a cold.  However, it shows no signs of being the swine flu.  What's more, I have a warm bed to curl up in later tonight.  I'll be going to work today, but if I feel really sick tomorrow,… Read full post »

I've just finished reading Pema Chodron's Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears. If you're not familiar with Chodron, she is perhaps the world's most famous Tibetan Buddhist American nun, and her works are meant to help Westerners understand the basic precepts of Tibetan Buddhi… Read full post »

I haven't had much time recently for blogging, or thinking about blogging, but I came across a quote this evening that sums up where my head is at these days, in the classroom and in the world.

Remember that you don't have to like or admire someone to feel compassion

… Read full post »

Benoit's in my remedial class - and how.  Every so often I read a student essay that makes me ask, silently or out loud, "How is it that this student was admitted to an English college?  What can possibly be done for him here?  How in the name of God is… Read full post »

What do you do with a problem like grammar?

I'm teaching two sections of a Preparation for College English course.  These courses are designed for students whose first language is not English, and whose level of written English is too poor for them to manage in a 101 course.

At… Read full post »

Two of my three classes this term have been, so far, focused yet energetic, respectful yet lively. The third has been a bit of a pain in the ass.

This class meets from 4-6 in the afternoon - the worst possible time. They're tired. I'm tired. Their… Read full post »

The final post in my summer-long guest series on School Gate, the TimesOnline education blog, appeared this morning.

In this post, I explain how keeping a blog made me a better, and more sane, teacher.

Thank you all so much for reading and commenting on these posts, and emailing me your thoughts! … Read full post »

Lately, I've had blogger's block.

I could say that I've been busy.  (It's true.  The school year just started.  There's stuff to do.)  But that's not really what it's about.  

I've been blocked.  I recognize it, because I've experienced it so very often in the more classic… Read full post »

The penultimate post in my series "How I Saved My Teaching Career" appeared on School Gate this morning.  In this post, I describe how learning to meditate made me a better teacher. Read full post »

Some of my Twitter contacts (particularly Shelley S. Terrell, or @ShellTerrell, who keeps the great blog Teacher Reboot Camp) have been encouraging me to sign up for the "One Comment a Day" project.

This project was developed by Andrew Marcinek, who posts about it here.  The premise: on/… Read full post »

My final guest post at Change.org's education blog went up this morning.  Today: what do I do when my (college) student's parent won't leave me alone?

Big thanks to Clay Burell for inviting me to guest blog this week while he's moving to Singapore and writing a (no doubt fabulous) book.

"Dear Aunt… Read full post »

This morning at Change.org, Auntie Siobhan gives her thoughts on the question, "How can I encourage passionate engagement in my classroom without encouraging aggression?"

It's been quite a ride!  My stint at Change.org ends tomorrow, but if you have questions for Auntie Siobhan, feel free to send… Read full post »

The latest installment in my "Ask Auntie Siobhan" series is up at Change.org.  Today: what do I do with my students' absolute lack of motivation?

While you're there, you might want to check out the extremely passionate discussion about cell phones in the classroom that arose in response to yester… Read full post »

Today at Change.org, Auntie Siobhan addresses the question: What do I do about the scourge of cell phones in my classroom?

Please come visit and leave your own advice.  And if you have a question you'd like Auntie Siobhan to answer, write to me at siobhancurious@gmail.com. Read full post »

The third installment of Auntie Siobhan's advice column appeared on Change.org's education blog this morning.  Today's question: what do I do if the administration blames me for irrational student behavior?

Go check it out, and leave your own advice!

If you have questions for Auntie Siobhan, pleas… Read full post »

Today on Change.org's education blog, Auntie Siobhan expounds on what to do when a student refuses to come to class (and thus ruins other people's lives.)

Please visit and leave your thoughts!  And if you have a question for Auntie Siobhan, write to me at siobhancurious@gmail.com. Read full post »

My new advice column, "Ask Auntie Siobhan," debuted on Change.org's education blog this morning.  Today's topic: why are so many of my students plagiarizing their papers?

Please go visit and leave your reactions!  And if you have a question for Auntie Siobhan, email me at siobhancurious@gmai… Read full post »

The latest post on my series "How I Saved My Teaching Career" appeared on the TimesOnline's education blog, School Gate, today.  This post is about getting more training in order to improve your skills and refresh your perspective.

Go check it out!  And leave us some comments on the ways yo… Read full post »

Are you worried as you prepare for the upcoming school year?  Are you having nightmares about something you think is going to go wrong?   Are you struggling with an idea you'd like  to implement, but don't know how?  Are you haunted by a past classroom/… Read full post »

 

What do you think are the characteristics of a good blog?

My goal for today is to put together a handout for my Travel Literature students, who will be blogging next semester as one of their major projects.  Before they begin, I'd like to give them a list… Read full post »

I became a reader because I was bored.

I learned to read when I was about four years old, but, like most children, I read only picture books until I was seven.  My parents brought me to the library every two weeks, and I filled up on library books/… Read full post »

I used to keep a lesson diary.  I might start doing it again.

I've been participating in the Castle Book Club discussion of Daniel T. Willingham's Why Don't Students like School? – half-heartedly, I admit, for two reasons.  First, my beloved cat died last week, and since then I'…

Read full post »

I've been away from OS for a few days, and Lisa Romero's latest post was the first news I got about the ad dustup (although I clicked on my own blog moments before, saw the ad in the middle, and thought, "Well, this was inevitable.") 

 I then read Kerry's explanation… Read full post »