Tag Archives: teaching

Desk Threat: or, What a Mice Surprise!

Posted on May 28, 2014 by

Today as I was rummaging around in my top desk drawer (which I really only use to store packets of oatmeal, confiscated earrings, and batteries), I noticed that my last oatmeal was eaten open. Ah, the oh-so-recognizable sign of a … Continue reading →

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Feisty Incoming-Fresh(wo)man Tells It Like It Is

Posted on May 22, 2014 by

This is a paragraph taken from a placement exam essay written by an eighth grade student. ASCC is the local college. I can’t even tell you how happy this makes me (and a little disappointed that I won’t have the … Continue reading →

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The Not-So-Simple Present and Teenage Dreams

Posted on May 21, 2014 by

I’ve been doing a lot of grammar drills and practice with my mainstream (lower-level) sophomores lately. A lot of these kids are at a pretty distinct academic disadvantage because their English skills are very low. One of the larger points … Continue reading →

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My favorite thing about Mrs. Q’s class is:

Posted on May 16, 2014 by

My seniors took their last English vocabulary quiz of high school today (sniffle, sniffle). I needed to make the quiz an even 40 questions, so I gave them this gimme question. Here are their responses:

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Educational Focus: Good Grades vs Good People

Posted on March 14, 2014 by

This is my friend, Jessie, who was a WorldTeach volunteer at one of the elementary schools out here last year. She recently delivered this fantastic speech at a TED conference in Michigan. Jessie is definitely in my Top 5 Favorite WorldTeachers … Continue reading →

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This is why we’re here.

Posted on August 20, 2013 by

Today I had my students write letters to me detailing their learning expectations for the year. One student (who was the cause of so many headaches last year — violent and threatening to both his classmates and me) deviated a … Continue reading →

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How dirty cafeterias can improve classroom decor

Posted on August 17, 2013 by

To our immense relief, shortly after arriving on Tutuila last Friday night, we were informed that the first week of school had been delayed one week because several schools had failed health inspection. This should come as no surprise to … Continue reading →

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One week down

Posted on August 24, 2012 by

I wish I had more to share about what’s happened since we’ve been back. Wes has a great post about our experience on the boat and all the housing confusion. We are still in the first house we were placed … Continue reading →

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National Park of American Samoa Field Trip

Posted on April 2, 2012 by

Last Tuesday, the whole school went on a field trip to the National Park. The Paka o Amerika Samoa encompasses nearly the whole island of Ta’u (technically, it includes the village of Faleasao, where I live and teach). The NPS … Continue reading →

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Home sweet home

Posted on January 28, 2012 by

I know it’s been a while since I’ve updated. We got back to Manu’a on January 3rd. School started the next day–on a Wednesday–and it’s been full-speed ahead ever since. I got a new student this semester who doesn’t really … Continue reading →

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