
Summer vacation history, pre-K indoctrination in TX, integrative med ed, critical skills for grads, and more: Required Readings, 04.25.16
From our sister site Grounded Parents is a historical review of the evolution of summer breaks within the U.S. public school system. According to Texas State BOE candidate Mary Lou Bruner, who has appeared in prior Required Readings, the goal of pre-K education programs is gay indoctrination. The inclusion of training …

Not Knowing What We’re Doing
The more I teach, the more I realize that students don’t really know what teachers do, and neither do the adults they grow up to be. It wasn’t until I was in my senior year in teacher school that I started to really grasp what exactly this job entails. I …

It Wasn’t the Best Response Ever
Here’s a surprise (not really): something went viral that probably shouldn’t have. Few things take flight faster than an angry and misguided letter from a parent. (A summary of my entire post: The father had no evidence to support his claims, and the school’s policies existed for a good reason. …

Tenure and motherhood, student evaluations, and cultural connections: Required Readings, 5.6.14
In the U.S., the first week of May is Teacher Appreciation Week. Have a good story about students showing their appreciation, for better or for worse? Share it in the comments. Someone who didn’t feel particularly appreciated at the University of Pennsylvania was former faculty member Kristen Stromberg Childers, who …

Bible study in OK, racist mascots, Autism Dx, paddling, fake classes at UNC, a little parenting is more than enough – It’s Required Reading 4/17/2014!!
Let’s get to it- Hobby Lobby CEO Steve Green has sponsored a 4-year course on the Bible to be piloted in an Oklahoma public school district. Here’s quote from the article on it by the religious news service: ” The nearest two synagogues are not in town — and are populated with …

Pop Quiz : Wait Til My Folks Hear About You
I’m quite aware that many of my Pop Quiz posts have been about the various differences between my own country’s education system and that of the USA. One day I’ll probably find the courage to branch out and write about something else, but today I’d like to discuss a difference …

Pop Quiz: The Day I Made Someone’s Mom Activate Their Rage-Crystal
I got myself into a little bit of trouble in school recently. It wasn’t my fault though, it was because of the magic crystals. I was taking a class full of lovely, enthusiastic children aged twelve and thirteen. They’re one of my favourite classes and I genuinely look forward to …