Monday Afternoon with the Kids and Dog Down at the Trampoline
general
Cool Spring Sunday
From Ten Years Ago
Friday Exploring
Flip
0-0 Tie
Three Photos from School
The Books
I am fortunate to teach three honors classes. This means I work with kids who, by and large, do everything I ask of them. So when I said, “As you read the chapter on Tom Robinson’s testimony, you need to note passages of importance,” this young lady took it seriously. Plus, she has her own personal reading she’s keeping up with.
Spring
The cherry trees outside my classroom are starting to blossom. Everyone is taking note.
Notes
Once we’re done with To Kill a Mockingbird, I have a special lesson for the kids: a local trial lawyer comes in and discusses the case from the point of view of an attorney who has himself defended individuals against rape and murder charges. How would an actual lawyer with such experience view the case? It’s always eye-opening to the kids.
To prepare for it, I have the kids make detailed notes about the case from the testimony of Heck Tate, Bob Ewell, Mayella Ewell, and Tom Robinson. “Make schematics of all the movements,” I say. “Make sketches of anything described in detail. Make sure you note what you know explicitly from the text and what is inference. Also make sure you note what things are less than clear.”
Where We Do Our Adventuring
Story
His homework: write a realistic story.
“What does that mean?”
“No dragons and such.”
He wrote a story about a little boy who eats cereal for breakfast and watches Tom and Jerry as he eats.
Where do you think he got that idea?
Sunday Bike Ride
