The much-anticipated Day 90 of my semester-long experiment of teaching a careers class in a local middle school came on Friday. That day was the last one of the semester. I thought I'd feel many emotions: joy, exhilaration, pride - and most of all, relief. But, honestly, I don't feel much of anything. Except tiredness. Perhaps … Continue reading Teaching Middle School, Week 18: The finale
Month: May 2016
Teaching Middle School, Week 17: “Because we’re bad”
Two comments to me at school this past week have stuck with me. Both were from 6th grade students. The first occurred while three of my students were working on their project for the end of the year. They were talking, and one said he had signed up for careers (the class I teach) next … Continue reading Teaching Middle School, Week 17: “Because we’re bad”
Teaching Middle School, Week 16: What I find most wearing and wearying
The main feeling I've had through these 16 weeks of teaching middle school is exhaustion. Being in the classroom every weekday makes me tired. Tired, tired, tired. And more tired. That's what I felt at the end of my high school teaching career 8 years ago. And it's what I feel now. If you've never taught … Continue reading Teaching Middle School, Week 16: What I find most wearing and wearying
Teaching Middle School, Week 15: My decision
We're down to 15 classroom days before school is out for the summer. Then my time in middle school will be over. I began this middle school teaching journey as an experiment. An experiment with these questions: What are middle school kids like? What are the challenges of a high-poverty school in this decade? How do … Continue reading Teaching Middle School, Week 15: My decision
eddies and currents 