Friday, August 10, 2012

remediation

http://communitycollegespotlight.org/content/lepage-high-schools-should-fund-dev-ed_10214/

I am not sure.  I think something like this has been tried in the courts and the ruling was "the education was offerred, you did not take advantage of it."

national

In correspondence to  http://rightontheleftcoast.blogspot.com/2012/08/national-board-certification.html

Yea tis a who came first question.  I get my National, does the process make me a good teacher, or was I good teacher to begin with and national acknowledges this. 

It reminds me when I was in a Medieval reenactment group.  Being knighted does not give you the chivalric virtues, you already had them, we just acknowledge this.

Since I have a job at another school, settling in, getting used to new systems, colleagues, students; I am delaying plan to get my national until next year.  I think my statement of that at my interview helped me get the job.


I have three years to get this, jumping through hoops.  I will have no problem with the test. 

I will admit I do it, its not because of the prestige or being able to move.  It is, as my novice pointed out, 5,000 in 10 years.  That pays off my house.

(okay it is a little of the prestige, I can see it now at professional development "talk to my national certification").

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

A few years back I had some students who I refered to as the "harry potter" group.  The nickname got picked up by the other teachers and eventually I had to explain to the students why.  "well Harry has black hair,  Ron is always described as tall with long arms, Hermione is the smartest student.  Besides there are worse things than being compared to a group who save the world."  After that, they embraced that with style.  Now they are in college.  The girl had 70 thousand dollar plus scholarships last I heard.

Every now and then at a book shelve there is a grandmother looking at the HP books.  She's not sure, because it has witchcraft in it.  "look I say, magic is not what this series is about.  It is about friendship, loyalty, never giving up and love.  Children read this book not for the gore but because they like and need heroes."

There they are, together.


http://cdn.channel.aol.com/aolr/02-stone-harry-potter-400a112706.jpg