CURMUDGUCATION: Separating Home And School For Teachers

CURMUDGUCATION: Separating Home And School For Teachers
Separating Home And School For Teachers

Watching my wife deal with the challenges of doing crisis pandemic distance learning, I've been having flashbacks to my first job.

I taught in Lorain High School (not the current LHS but the one that stood where there is now a vacant lot), and I rented an apartment right across the street from the school. When I found the place, I was delighted-- the ultimate in convenience. I wouldn't even have to start my car, let alone navigate a strange city. Heck, it was even across the street from the same side of the building in which I worked.

My old neighborhood

At the end of the day, I'd stay at my desk in my room and keep working till I hit a stopping point. Then I'd throw a pile of papers in my briefcase, walk down the hall, out the door, across the street, up the stairs, and into my apartment, where I would grab something to eat, then open the briefcase and spread the papers out on my coffee table, sit on the couch with my grading and my supper, and go back to work. Maybe I'd turn on the TV (a portable twelve-inch black and white) or maybe I'd just play music. At some point I'd get up, walk six feet to my bedroom and go to bed. Fridays were extra luxurious because I could just leave everything out on the table so that it would be all ready to go on Saturday morning.

At some point it occurred to me that work had eaten my home, that I in fact didn't really have a home so much as a more comfortable supplemental work location. And partway into the year, I felt CONTINUE READING: CURMUDGUCATION: Separating Home And School For Teachers

NYC Educator: How Does It Feel to Be One of the Beautiful Tweedies?

NYC Educator: How Does It Feel to Be One of the Beautiful Tweedies?

How Does It Feel to Be One of the Beautiful Tweedies?

Chancellor Carranza says the budget it cut "to the bone." There's absolutely nothing left at Tweed to be cut. Otherwise, why would they be cutting so much from the classroom?

The city has proposed $827 million in DOE cuts, including slashing school budgets by $285 million. This would reduce arts programs, counselors and social workers in needy districts, and college-prep for high schoolers. The DOE would also put off new classes for 3-year-olds, installation of air conditioners, and rat extermination.

So what is so absolutely vital that our kids need to sit in sweltering, rat-infested classrooms, likely as not during a pandemic?

For those who work in Tweed, there are spiritual considerations. After all, when you're making 200K a year after the budget being cut to the bone, you have other things to think about besides salary. That's why they hired a guru for DOE employees with troubled souls. After all, when DOE employees with big questions need to explore their inner selves, we can't expect them to do so on their own time. After all, the sort of high quality service we've come to expect from them doesn't come easily.

It's not just anyone you can send your college transcripts to who will ask you to send them again because their on the fourth, rather than the sixteenth floor. It's not just anyone who will absolutely lose every single paper you hand deliver unless you get a written receipt. It's not just anyone who will invariably rule against the UFT when black letter contract regulations are violated. Not just any organization could say untimely letters are CONTINUE READING: NYC Educator: How Does It Feel to Be One of the Beautiful Tweedies?

SPECIAL CORONAVIRUS UPDATE Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007

SPECIAL CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... 

The latest news and resources in education since 2007

New NPR Video: “Tracing The Origins Of The Coronavirus”

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h

MiroslavaChrienova / Pixabay I’m adding this new NPR video to A BEGINNING LIST OF THE BEST RESOURCES FOR LEARNING ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS :

Depressing Statistic Of The Day: Schools Headed Towards “Financial Meltdown”

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h

Though it’s no surprise, NPR’s story The Pandemic Is Driving America’s Schools Toward A Financial Meltdown was not a great way to start the day. It follows up last week’s news in California about the possibility of teacher layoffs here: California districts could pursue teacher layoffs if new state budget cuts K-12 funding . Not a pretty picture….

“Ways to Make Lessons ‘Relevant’ to Students’ Lives”

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h

Ways to Make Lessons ‘Relevant’ to Students’ Lives is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Six educators share strategies for making lessons directly relevant to students’ lives, including by building relationships, celebrating cultures, and applying a concept called “Hooks and Bridges.” Here are some excerpts:

YESTERDAY

Around The Web In ESL/EFL/ELL

by Larry Ferlazzo / 10h

BiljaST / Pixabay Six years ago I began this regular feature where I share a few posts and resources from around the Web related to ESL/EFL or to language in general that have caught my attention. You might also be interested in THE BEST RESOURCES, ARTICLES & BLOG POSTS FOR TEACHERS OF ELLS IN 2019 – PART ONE and THE BEST RESOURCES, ARTICLES & BLOG POSTS FOR TEACHERS OF ELLS IN 2019 – PART TWO. A

Just Sent-Out Free Monthly Email Newsletter

by Larry Ferlazzo / 14h

geralt / Pixabay I’ve just mailed out the June issue of my very simple free monthly email newsletter . It has over 3,000 subscribers, and you can subscribe here . Of course, you can also join the eighteen thousand others who subscribe to this blog daily. Here Are 8 Ways You Can Subscribe For Free…

Ed Tech Digest

by Larry Ferlazzo / 21h

Eight years ago, in another somewhat futile attempt to reduce the backlog of resources I want to share, I began this occasional “” post where I share three or four links I think are particularly useful and related to…ed tech, including some Web 2.0 apps. You might also be interested in THE BEST ED TECH RESOURCES OF 2019 – PART TWO , as well as checking out all my edtech resources . Here are this

May’s “Best” Lists – There Are Now 2,153 Of Them!

47by Larry Ferlazzo / 21h

Here’s my regular round-up of new “The Best…” lists I posted this month (you can see all 2,153 of them categorized here ): THE BEST SITES FOR CREATING NOT TOTALLY USELESS WORD SEARCHES THE BEST IDEAS FOR ONLINE ACTIVITIES TO USE WHEN TEACHING ELLS REMOTELY – SHARE MORE! THE BEST – & MOST INTERESTING – RESOURCES FOR STUDYING HISTORY

May’s Most Popular Posts From This Blog

by Larry Ferlazzo / 21h

As regular readers know, at the end of each week I share the five most popular posts from the previous seven days. I thought people might find it interesting to see a list of the ten most popular posts from the previous thirty days. You might also be interested in It’s The Thirteenth Anniversary Of This Blog – Here Are The Forty All-Time Most Popular Posts. Not to mention THE MOST POPULAR POSTS F

This Week’s Resources To Support Teachers Coping With School Closures

by Larry Ferlazzo / 22h

Wokandapix / Pixabay I have a number of regular weekly features (see HERE IS A LIST (WITH LINKS) OF ALL MY REGULAR WEEKLY FEATURES ). This is a relatively new addition to that list. Some of these resources will be added to The Best Advice On Teaching K-12 Online (If We Have To Because Of The Coronavirus) – Please Make More Suggestions ! and the best will go to The “Best Of The Best” Resources To

Three Resources About Our World’s Different Cultures

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1d

Clker-Free-Vector-Images / Pixabay I’m adding these resources to The Best Sites For Learning About The World’s Different Cultures : What grocery hauls look like around the world right now is from The Washington Post. Pick a Card 

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007