Teaching. One Day at a Time.
May 16th, 2008 — 7th Grade
It is Friday. Normally, I look forward to Fridays for the same reason all people look forward to Fridays: getting through them earns you a ticket to Saturday. Today, I had an extra reason to be excited; my chickens were coming home to roost. In day one of my extended middle school assignment, I had assigned an oral presentation to my 7th graders. Now, the students would be going up in front of the class to give their speeches.
Would they take it seriously?
May 15th, 2008 — 7th Grade
Children are mean. Some grow mean as they age, while others seem to have been born that way. They bully classmates to feel strong, make fun of others to draw attention away from their own imperfections, and talk back to teachers. Unfortunately, it is a problem some children take with them to adulthood, and single-serving substitutes are usually powerless to prevent it.
But what happens when a child innocently exhibits bigotry in the classroom?
