After An Educator's Journey
Out of the classroom & into the universe
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Once upon a time, I taught 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders. Now I’m retired and working on new ventures.
Author: amybisson
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I was in a good mood when I arrived yesterday. Really I was. Here’s just one of the problems: A 35-question District Math Benchmark. The test, a 60-minute multiple choice-MCAS style-complete with bubble sheets (! for THIRD GRADERS!!!!)-mind blower was supposed to have arrived on November 9. It didn’t. In fact, it arrived last Friday…
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In my school, we have been grappling with student behaviors, choices and what to do about them. Our Green Team – the staff guiding us to a cohesive K-4 plan – is incorporating and blending ideas from Ruth Payne’s outstanding book, A Framework for Understanding Poverty, Linda Albert’s book Cooperative Discipline, and Responsive Classroom. As…
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In Massachusetts, there is a bill before the General Court to eliminate or increase the cap on Charter Schools. I don’t know how things go in other parts of the country, but in Massachusetts, Charter Schools pull their funding from the local budget. The currently proposed bill lifts the cap on Charters — further privatizing…
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Have you ever stopped to consider how many idiomatic expressions are used in conversation throughout a day? While waiting for one of my walkers to be picked up, I instructed the poor soul to “keep your eyes peeled” for a brother — her pick up person. The confused and horrified expression on her face immediately…
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The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. A moment of silent, quiet reflection. Today, Veteran’s Day 2009, I am remembering. My Dad’s generation was the generation that fought World War II. We don’t know much if any of my Dad’s whole military service. Like many of his generation, it was not…
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or is it Teaching in the time of H1N1? The season of viruses has started. While a part of me feels empathetic to parents who cannot take time from work to tend to a sick child; the other part of me is irate that the sick child is in the petri dish I call my…
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It never ceases to amaze me. I’ll be reading a story and out of the blue will come a question that knocks me back a step or two. “Why did the Pilgrims come from Hollywood, Mrs. Bisson?” Now you and I know the Pilgrims never set foot in Hollywood — that word that was lost…
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It doesn’t matter what I intend to do, once the school year starts, all my good intentions for moderation and actually having a life are very soon forgotten. Case in point: the last post was September 18th. That was 6 weeks ago for crying out loud. School start ups are always stressful, jam packed, and…
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Teachers generally roll with the punches; lots of mid-step changes and revisions to policy, curriculum, means flexibility is one of the most important traits of a teacher. Even the most compulsive of us — and I include myself in that category — manages to get through the continual stream. Teachers react and respond to split-second…
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I have a love-hate relationship with the first week of school. I love it because it is a time for a fresh start, a do-over; everything about the start of the year is new and exciting. And to be honest, after 10 weeks away from teaching, I miss it…. even the most annoying of personalities…
After An Educator's Journey 