Snow and short memories

If you love New England, you have to appreciate the year to year snowfall. This year it has been sparce. It has been a month since we had snow. 4-6 inches of snow is remarkable this year and we close school with the threat of this snow even if it came in after school. Last year, it was part of life each week. We do have short memories when it comes to weather and how to handle it. Drive slow and deal with the snow, don't be afraid of it.

Bill of RIghts

So we are studying the French Revolution and the Declaration of Rights of Men tonight. A long reading assignment coupled with several challenging questions is the work we are engrossed in. When did reading a section and answering questions be put forward as a good practice even a best practice? How do kids really engage in overblown and pompous writing and reading? Have them discuss it or challenge their own understandings of rights. Get down and dirty with the topic and give them something really to consider rather than read about history from 400 years ago that doesn't really relate to them.

How we doing?

Do you ever feel like the world is spinning and you want get off? The image of being on a merry go round and trying to jump off. I wonder if I can keep my balance when I land. I wonder if we only have so much resilience that we have over stretches of challenge. Outlets for our frustration such as family and exercise, least that is how I do it. How do you do it? Answer the question below:

Curriculum 21

So I just received the new ASCD book called "Curriculum 21: Essential Education for a Changing World". Having read the introduction, I realize that we are teaching a curriculum that is better suited for when I was a kid and not what about the world is now. Have we missed the boat on the last 50 years in Social Studies? Could we a do a cursory coverage of colonial America versus and look at 9/11 in a more in-depth way? Just a thought.