My 12 English class is scheduled to do a Shakespeare unit next term where they have to modernise the premise of the text and present a monologue. For example, when using Macbeth, I’ve seen a student as Lady Macbeth who is trying to help her husband assist his career in the software industry against his closest competitors. (Poor example, but you get the gist) 

Most teachers seem to be using the big 3 (Macbeth, Hamlet and Othello) but I’d rather do something a little different.

What Shakespearean play do you recommend? What would lend itself well to modernisation?

Help, #education!

I’m showing a documentary in my ancient history class today that purports that man walked with dinosaurs and evolution is a farce. 

They’re going to have to work in groups to research the credentials of each of the ‘experts’ in order to debunk their assertions. 

Fingers crossed we don’t stray into creationism rhetoric. 

classroomchaos:

englishmajorhumor:

by Patrick Corrigan, Toronto Star, Canada

songoftheswomeeswans:

Today, one my students asked me, “There really isn’t a movie of The Catcher in the Rye?” I said no, and he said, “So we never really find out what Stradlater looks like? That’s such a bummer… I want to know what Holden looks like, too.” 

This is the new generation. They need a movie in order to picture a literary character. 

thesnarkyschoolteacher:

I’ve spent my entire teaching career at one school and I’m curious to see other responses to the following questions. If you wouldn’t mind taking a moment to help me out, I’d be really grateful!

1. How many classes do you teach in one day and how long is each period?

2. How many prep periods do…

1. I have 5 classes, but we only have 4 70 minute periods a day. 2 days a week I teach all four lessons, the other 3 days, I teach three lessons a day. 

2. We get three 70 minute prep periods a week

3. School runs 8:45-2:45. I am generally there from 7-4:30/5. On our pay slips though, we are technically only paid for five hours a day (less than the school day itself). 

4. The only time would be during exams or when my students are drafting or undertaking research, but I am never just sitting down doing my own thing, I am always either monitoring to ensure no one is cheating or doing the wrong thing, working one on one with students, or circulating to ensure all are on task and working as hard as they can. 

5. In Australia, we have a national curriculum now which encompasses English, history, math and science P-10 which means a big chunk is handled for us. It isn’t particularly great though, and the kinks will hopefully be ironed out as time passes. With my senior classes, we have work programs in place which give us a guide of what unit goes where and what kind of assessment task is attached, but there is still a fair bit of freedom, especially in content and delivery. I find especially in my senior history classes, because I am the only teacher of that given year at that given time (last year was modern, this year is ancient), I have a lot of freedom with the work program.