The Problem with Math Problems, Common Core, Standard Tests, etc.
Monday, June 10th, 2013 Posted in Around the Web, In the Classroom | No Comments »I've been meaning to write an epic post recounting my visits to schools this past year. The things I've seen, the things I've learned, but gosh, I keep watching it slide down my list of things to do. In short: * It's ...
KINDNESS: My Trip to the 2013 Youth Writing Festival at Calvin College
Thursday, April 25th, 2013 Posted in In the Classroom, School Visits, Uncategorized, bullying | No Comments »I just returned from a wonderful, two-night trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where I was invited (by Gary Schmidt!) to participate in the 2013 Youth Writing Festival at Calvin College. At one point it looked exactly like this: As my Nation of ...
Nice Article Based on My Recent School Visit to Fair Lawn, NY
Tuesday, April 16th, 2013 Posted in In the Classroom, School Visits, the writing process | 2 Comments »A local reporter, Tracey Putrino, sat in for one of my presentations during a recent school visit to Fair Lawn, New Jersey. The school itself was spectacular, warm and clean and bursting with pride, one of the sweetest elementary schools ...
OVERHEARD: “I guess science is my favorite class — I just wish it wasn’t so serious.”
Thursday, January 24th, 2013 Posted in Around the Web, Family, In the Classroom, Middle School Life | 3 Comments »Lisa had asked Maggie, grade 6, about her classes and received the above reply. Which at first struck me as a hilarious thing to say about science. It was like saying, I don't know, math should be funnier. Social studies, ...
The Perils of Skype: There’s the Giant “Oz Head,” for Starters
Monday, December 10th, 2012 Posted in In the Classroom, School Visits | No Comments »Let's start with the horror: Run for the hills, people. On a Thursday morning in late November, I Skyped with students in Pine View Middle School, somewhere in Florida. The basic setup was that a small number of students gathered in the ...
I May Have Just Met the Best 6th-Grade Poet in America
Tuesday, September 11th, 2012 Posted in In the Classroom, School Visits | 8 Comments »When I speak at schools, a teacher will often come up to ask if I wouldn't mind wearing some kind of amplifier/microphone thingy around my neck for a student who is hearing impaired. And of course I don't mind. I put ...
For Teachers: 13 Ways of Raising Your Hand in the Classroom
Friday, January 20th, 2012 Posted in Around the Web, Fun Clips, In the Classroom | No Comments »Teachers will like this. All teachers, every one. There will be universal "like" on this little clip. [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2YPBQCHV7E] You can find more of her charming, off-beat clips, here.
Essential Listening: “Middle School” as featured on THIS AMERICAN LIFE
Saturday, November 12th, 2011 Posted in Around the Web, In the Classroom | 2 Comments »It's been a busy month, with many school visits and almost no real writing. On Sunday, tomorrow, I'm heading to South Carolina, a trip that begins with three presentations in a middle school. So I thought I'd share my highest ...
Photo Dump: Three Days in Williamstown
Tuesday, October 25th, 2011 Posted in In the Classroom, School Visits | No Comments »I recently enjoyed a three-day visit to Williamstown, Massachusetts. I visited three schools: Lanesborough Elementary (where we forgot to take photos), Mount Greylock (grades 7-8), and Williamstown Elementary. It was particularly fun to interact with such a large range of ...
Pirate Crossword: Free Teaching Tool for “A Pirate’s Guide to First Grade”
Wednesday, October 12th, 2011 Posted in A Pirates Guide (Series), In the Classroom | No Comments »Forgive me, it's an unusual blog day here at the jamespreller.com factory. I've been unloading some stuff from a found file. Here's a nice companion for my book A Pirate's Guide to First Grade, illustrated by Greg Ruth. If you ...