Journey of a Young Teacher

Interactive Power Points

2009-08-09T22:05:00.000-07:00

I am here to sing the praises of the interactive PowerPoint as an teaching tool. They give me the ability to create my own modules both for my advanced students and for reviewing taught material. While they take a while to create, they are forever and are well worth the time. If you would like to see one check my website gloverclassroom.com.

Free: The Future of a Radical Price by Chris Anderson Review

2009-08-09T21:45:00.000-07:00

I recently read Free by Chris Anderson and I was impressed. Unlike Predictably Irrational, I felt like there was a lot of ideas that were transferable and I could apply to my own pursuits. Both were interesting reads and work the time I spent on them, but if you only read one book based off of my blog pick Free.

The first idea I found really interesting is the idea of giving as much as away as possible so long as it points back to your paid product. While I do not sell myself as a teacher beyond the paycheck I get from my school district and the little bit of tutoring I do on the side, my product is the educational experience I offer my 30 children (one was added at registration). The practical application of this is that the the more interest building and parent engaging efforts I make outside of the classroom the higher my interest inside the classroom will be. The higher my level of engagement both my students and their parents is the better educational experience my students will have and the better job i as a teach will have done. If I see my self as a vendor with a product to sell and my students as the customer of that product I will motivated to improve my "product" as well as the presentation of that product. I will be motivated to increase the quality of my teaching and the level of excitement the students have for it. I will also try to increase the accessibility of it. I need to see what happens in my room as supported by all of the things I do outside of my room like PTC's, my web page, Twitter account, and possibly a Facebook account, though I have not decided on that one yet.

The second idea presented in the book that I really benefited from is reminding me how the expectations of my students are changing and will be different from those that I grew up with. My students are used to having far more choices in terms how to spend their time and will function a world where it is important to not "know", but to know how to find out. Therefore it is my job to motivate them to be life long learners and to teach them how to accomplish this feat.

The technology I would like to use in my classroom this year

2009-07-29T08:34:00.000-07:00

Twitter-- I will use Twitter to let parents know what homework their children have each day as well as class and school announcements

My website (gloverclassroom.com)--Same as the website except available to all and with more information. Also I will put chances for extended learning on the site.

Videos from the Discovery Channel, NOVA, NOAA, and howstuffworks.com

E-pen pals.

Why use tech? Not only does it make the material am teaching more interesting, but it gives them a chance to learn to use technology as well.

Why I work as hard as I do

2009-07-28T08:40:00.000-07:00

One of the things my wife laughs at me about is how hard it is for me to just one thing at a time. When I was working at the Idaho Youth Ranch I was also going to school full time (as well as taking care of my boys). When I was student teaching I also got a job job doing P.S.R. I kept the P.S.R. while I taught summer school in 08, had my 4th grade class, and took master's classes this summer. This fall I will quit being a P.S.R., but I will have my class and be taking master's classes as well. There are may reasons for this. The first reason is that I am a high energy person so why not take advantage of it. Also important is that I know what I gave up. Graduating with a degree in finance I am sure that if I have stayed on track i would be making at least 3 times what I make now and probably more. Further with a wife and 6 (or 8 depending on how you count them) kids I have lot of responsibilities. The further I go and the faster I get ahead the better chance I have of not feeling like my family is missing out because I decided to do what I truly love and not what what was the most financially beneficial. I know I have a lot of talent as a teacher (I am not sure that I am the teacher I can be yet, but I am talking potential). However, I as a pretty darn good econ and finance student as well and the ghost of an unchosen future does haunt me a bit. In my mind the best way for me to make sure I made the right choice is to work harder than anyone else and become an exceptional educator and make a difference not only in my community beyond. Will I do it? I have no idea, but i feel like I have to try.

My class list!!!!!!!!

2009-07-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

I didn't get a chance to write yesterday and today is another full day so I will write twice but they will both be opinions.

I got my class list today. This maybe silly, but for me it is like Christmas. I spend the whole summer guessing and anticipating. Its a truly silly level of glee to see the list. When I saw my list there were about 6 names I knew well and I have already started thinking about how what I have planned will impact them. Equally as exciting are the names I do not know. Its like when you are opening your presents on Christmas and you are halfway done. You see the unopened gifts and think "I wonder what is in those boxes?" Its the same way with me. I couldn't be more eager to meet those kids. The whole thing is pure glee. I am going to go into day and put the names up as well as on desks. I have all of this excitement about it so I might as well use it!

Behavioral Economics

2009-07-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know 10 years ago I did not know I would be a teacher today. I was an economics major. While I have clearly decided to redirect my life that does not mean that I not that person any more. I still try to read widely in the field and recently I have become very interested in behavioral economics. Part of this is due to any interest in Dan Ariely specifically, but not entirely. I have heard him on shows like Marketplace and Talk of the Nation and even listened to a few of his lectures. Strangely enough what I had not done yet was read his book Predictably Irrational. I started to fix this oversight today. I am roughly 1/5 of the way through it so far and I am bit underwhelmed to this point. Its long on anecdotes and short on principals to this point. Rather than a competing theory to classical economics, it is instead so far anthology where it doesn't work. This does not make it worthless, but doesn't exactly give me knowledge and understanding to the rest of life. I know there are lessons in behavioral economics that I can apply to my classroom and to education in general, I just hope they are in the other 4/5ths of the book.

Thoughts on a single sex classrooms

2009-07-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

I recently did a paper on single-sex classrooms. I have no dog in that fight I see the possible advantages. I think those who are pointing out the disadvantages over state some of their sexism issues, but make points about the results be mixed. What I did find interesting was that both sides were claiming how the classrooms effect girls. Those who are for single-sex classrooms point out that the increase in scores is more dramatic for girls than they are for boys. On the other hand, the groups putting the most energy to combat single-sex classrooms are organizations like American Association of University Women (AAUW) and the National Organization of Women (NOW). I am not sure what this means, but it is fascinating to see how differently they see the world.

My thoughts on the President's Race to the Top Speech

2009-07-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

Let me preface this by saying I am a republican. However, I did vote for Obama for three reasons. As a man with children who are Yup'ik Eskimo it is important to me that I have credibility when I say you don't have to be white to be President. Second, he may be the most talented man I have seen run for the presidency in my life times in terms of his intelligence and his ability to communicate. Third, we should have never been in Iraq and I trust him to get us out quicker than McCain would have. He was the only D I voted for, but I voted for him with out the slightest bit of reservation.

My remarks will be set off with "---" to make it clear. I will not interrupt paragraphs as I do not want to be accused of taking him out of context. I have also taken out the first 4 paragraphs as they had nothing to do with education.

President: But even if we do all of those things, America will not succeed in the 21st century unless we do a far better job of educating our sons and daughters, unless every child is performing the way Matthew is performing. In an economy where knowledge is the most valuable commodity a person and a country have to offer, the best jobs will go to the best educated -- whether they live in the United States or India or China. In a world where countries that out-educate us today will out-compete us tomorrow, the future belongs to the nation that best educates its people. Period. We know this.

---Clearly he "gets it". Agree or disagree with his philosophy, he is looking at the problem as he should look at it and understands the consequences of in action.

But we also know that today, our education system is falling short. We've talked about it for decades but we know that we have not made the progress we need to make. The United States, a country that has always led the way in innovation, is now being outpaced in math and science education. African American, Latino students are lagging behind white classmates in one subject after another -- an achievement gap that, by one estimate, costs us hundreds of billions of dollars in wages that will not be earned, jobs that will not be done, and purchases that will not be made. And most employers raise doubts about the qualifications of future employees, rating high school graduates' basic skills as only "fair" or "poor."
Of course, as I said before, we've talked about this problem for years. For years, we've talked about bad statistics and an achievement gap. For years, we've talked about overcrowded classrooms and crumbling schools and corridors of shame across this country. We've talked these problems to death, year after year, decade after decade, while doing all too little to solve them.

---I wish all the educators who fight every change, every experiment, and fight every new idea would read this. The past was not better simply because it was the past. In fact, it was the past that made possible the crossroads we are at today. NCLB was a deeply flawed bill, but at least it tried something. The problem has been clear for decades to those who have been paying attention yet too many educators fight to go back to the very past that has failed our children.

But thanks to Arne's leadership, thanks to George Miller's leadership, thanks to all the dedicated Americans in statehouses, and schoolhouses, communities across this country, that's beginning to change. We're beginning to break free from the partisanship and the petty bickering that have stood in the way of progress for so long. We're beginning to move past the stale debates about either more money or more reform, because the fact is we need both. We're beginning to offer every single American the best education the world has to offer from the cradle to the classroom, from college to careers.

----THANK YOU Mr. Obama! "The fact is we need both"! How wonderful it is to have a leader that understands that is not an either/or choice. Further, his words about moving beyond partisanship rings true on this issue. This is not a speech that could come from many Democrats. There are a lot of ideas that the NEA will probably not pleased with even if those thoughts are expressed behind closed doors.

In recent months, I've spoken about the different parts of this strategy. I've spoken about what we're doing to prepare community college students to find a job when they graduate; to make college and advanced training more affordable; and to raise the bar in early learning programs. Today, I want to talk about what we can do to raise the quality of education from kindergarten through senior year.
Because improving education is central to rebuilding our economy, we set aside over $4 billion in the Recovery Act to promote improvements in schools. This is one of the largest investments in education reform in American history. And rather than divvying it up and handing it out, we are letting states and school districts compete for it. That's how we can incentivize excellence and spur reform and launch a race to the top in America's public schools.

---Not to beat a dead horse, but that is what 12 days of Iraq? I love that he is making the schools earn the money and that is not just a hand out. It sounds to me like the competition will be strategy based and not results based so everyone has a fair shot a the money, not just hose schools that are doing well. If this goes well hopefully the amount invested in the program will increase.

That race starts today. I'm issuing a challenge to our nation's governors, to school boards and principals and teachers, to businesses and non-for-profits, to parents and students: if you set and enforce rigorous and challenging standards and assessments; if you put outstanding teachers at the front of the classroom; if you turn around failing schools -- your state can win a Race to the Top grant that will not only help students outcompete workers around the world, but let them fulfill their God-given potential.
This competition will not be based on politics or ideology or the preferences of a particular interest group. Instead, it will be based on a simple principle -- whether a state is ready to do what works. We will use the best evidence available to determine whether a state can meet a few key benchmarks for reform -- and states that outperform the rest will be rewarded with a grant. Not every state will win and not every school district will be happy with the results. But America's children, America's economy, and America itself will be better for it.

---This is a little vaguer than I would like, but I will really be looking forward to what other details come out on this plan. I know I would like to do everything I can to help my district earn the money.

And one of the benchmarks we will use is whether states are designing and enforcing higher and clearer standards and assessments that prepare a student to graduate from college and succeed in life. Right now, some states like Massachusetts are setting high standards, but many others are not. Many others are low-balling expectations for students -- telling our kids they're prepared to move on to the next grade even if they aren't; awarding diplomas even if a graduate doesn't have the knowledge and skills to thrive in our economy.

---This is just about perfect. High standards for the children, high standards for the states. Perfect.

That's a recipe for economic decline, and it has to stop. With the Race to the Top fund, we will reward states that come together and adopt a common set of standards and assessments. Now, let me be clear: This is not about the kind of testing that has mushroomed under No Child Left Behind. This is not about more tests. It's not about teaching to the test. And it's not about judging a teacher solely on the results of a single test.
It is about finally getting testing right, about developing thoughtful assessments that lead to better results; assessments that don't simply measure whether students can use a pencil to fill in a bubble, but whether they possess basic knowledge and essential skills like problem-solving and creative thinking, creativity and entrepreneurship. And already, 46 states are working to develop such standards. I urge those 46 states to finish the job. I urge the other four to get onboard.

---Beautiful! These two paragraphs bring joy to my heart. Tests are not bad. Tests are not the problem. The problem is how states, districts and teachers across this country are using the tests. If we have tests that truly assess what it is our children have to be able to know, use, and understand, then they are very valuable tools indeed. That is not to say they are a summation of the child, but testing done correctly is our best diagnostic tool. Many decry multiple choice tests and sometimes for good reason. This does not mean that all testing is bad. In terms of evaluation of teachers themselves he couldn't be more right either. One test should never be used to evaluate the capabilities of teacher. However, if we allow that some teachers are in special circumstances, who can truly say that the difference between good teaching and bad teaching will show up if one looks at a 5-year trend. True, context matters, but the context should be reasonably consistent across a single school. Working harder should be rewarded.

One of the other benchmarks we'll be using in awarding Race to the Top grants is whether outstanding teachers are being placed in our classrooms. From the moment a student enters a school, the single most important factor in their success is the person in front of the classroom. Every one of us can point to a teacher who inspired us and in some way shaped the course of our lives. Great teachers are the bulwark of America. They should be valued and they should be honored. Few have worked harder to do that than our national union leaders. Randi Weingarten is right here, and Dennis Van Roekel -- (applause) -- are two union leaders who are here, and I'm very pleased that they're with us today.
But if we're honest with ourselves we'll admit that in too many places, we have no way -- at least no good way of distinguishing good teachers from bad ones. As Arne has pointed out in the past, they have 300,000 teachers in California. The top 10 percent are 30,000 of the best that are out there. The bottom 10 percent are 30,000 of the worst out there. The problem is, we have no way to tell which is which.
That's where data comes in. Some places are keeping electronic records of how a student does from one year to the next and how a class does in any given year. This helps students, parents, teachers, principals, and school boards know what's working and what's not in the classroom. You know, basketball coaches have a game tape for the team to see what they did right and what they did wrong after a tough series -- teachers and principals should have a way of doing the same.

---This is exactly right! In my grade level I can tell you who is at the top (as teachers) and who is not, but the administrators have no way of knowing what I know. We are scarcely even trying to be able to tell the difference at this point. We have have made the pudding. The proof is there. There are intelligent and mostly fair ways of getting at that information. Its time we access. Its time we concentrate on what works. There is nothing that needs to be invented to improve education. The tools we need exist. Its time we put them into practice.

Now, I recognize there's a concern among some that a teacher won't be judged fairly when we start linking students' performance to the performance of their teachers. And that's why we need to bring teachers into the process and make sure their voices are heard. (Applause.) And that's why we need to make sure we use tests as just one part of a broader evaluation of teachers' performance. But let me be clear: Success should be judged by results, and data is a powerful tool to determine results. We can't ignore facts. We can't ignore data. That's why any state that makes it unlawful to link student progress to teacher evaluations will have to change its ways if it wants to compete for a grant. That's why the Race to the Top grants will go to states that use data effectively to reward effective teachers, to support teachers who are struggling, and when necessary, to replace teachers who aren't up to the job.
And we also need to reward states that are placing outstanding teachers in schools and subjects -- like math and science -- where they're needed most. That's one way to foster the next generation of math and science teachers. And by the way, everyone has a role to play in training these teachers. So universities and nonprofit organizations can launch programs like UTeach at UT Austin that allows aspiring teachers to get a math or science degree and teaching certificate at the same time. And businesses can follow the examples of Intel and Microsoft by developing the software tools and cutting-edge technologies that prepare today's students to be tomorrow's teachers.
So we know we need better standards, and we know we need excellent teachers. But we also know that a number of chronically underperforming schools will require an extra effort to get back on their feet. Roughly 5,000 schools across this country -- the bottom five percent -- fall into this category. In fact, just 2,000 high schools produce over 50 percent of America's dropouts.

---Fascinating information.

Now, there is no silver bullet when it comes to turning these schools around. We know that many of these schools are in very tough neighborhoods, and kids are coming to school already with some significant problems. And the most effective and innovative approaches will be developed outside of Washington in communities across this country. The best ideas will come from educators who are helping a young man who's far behind to catch up; or helping a young woman master the English language; or going the extra mile for a student with special needs. Change will come from the bottom up.
But what we can do, all of us in federal government, is reward states that are pursuing forceful and effective and consistent approaches with Race to the Top grants. There are a number of different strategies that school districts are employing to fix these schools that are in such tough shape. One strategy involves replacing the principal, replacing much of the staff, and giving the school a second chance. Another strategy involves inviting a great nonprofit to help manage a troubled school. A third strategy involves converting a dropout factory into a successful charter school. These are public schools funded [sic] by parents, teachers, and civic or community organizations with broad leeway to innovate.

---I couldn't agree with him more. I have no idea which of these ideas will work, but I promise you this. If we do not try any of them in the next five years, in 2014 I will still have no idea which of these ideas work.

Now, we can't hold charter schools to lower standards than traditional public schools. If a charter school is falling short year after year, it should be shut down. But if we're holding charter schools accountable and if we are holding them to a high standard of excellence, then I believe they can be a force for innovation in our public schools. And that's why I've encouraged states to lift caps on the number of charter schools that are allowed -- something being done in Louisiana, Indiana, and across the country. And that's why we will reward states that pursue rigorous and accountable charter schools with Race to the Top Fund grants.
Better standards. Better teaching. Better schools. Data-driven results. That's what we will reward with our Race to the Top Fund. But as I've said before, fixing the problem in our schools is not a task for Washington alone. It will take school administrators, board presidents, and local union leaders making collective bargaining a catalyst -- and not an impediment -- to reform. It will take business leaders asking what they can do to invest in education in their communities. It will take parents asking the right questions at their child's school, and making sure their children are doing their homework at night.
And it will take students -- I'm not worried about Matthew, but all the other ones -- (laughter) -- including my daughters -- showing up for school on time and paying attention in class. Ultimately, their education is up to them. It's up to their parents. It's up to their teachers. It's up to all of us.

---I completely agree.

I'll never forget a school I visited one day when I was a community organizer in Chicago. As I walked around the school with the principal, I remember saying to her how wonderful it was to see all these kids so full of energy and hope and the spark in their eye. And when he asked them what they were going to be when they grew up, they said, we're going to be doctors and lawyers and they all had these big dreams for the future. And I remember the principal saying that soon all that would change; that in a year or two, something would shut off inside as they began to realize their hopes wouldn't come to pass -- not because they weren't smart enough, not because they weren't talented enough, but because they didn't see a pathway to success.
And that's true of too many children in this country. Maybe they don't have a great teacher. Maybe they don't find their classes exciting. Maybe they aren't being challenged at school. Maybe their parents aren't pushing them the way they need to. Maybe nobody is setting high expectations for them. Maybe they can't afford a college education. Maybe they don't know anybody who's ever gone to college. And the reason you're here, the reason Arne is here, the reason I'm here, is to make sure that we are giving all of those children, all our children, the pathways they need to make the most of their abilities; to make the most of their opportunities; to make the most of their lives.

---First I cut off the last two paragraphs as they said nothing new. Who doesn't know kids like these kids or hasn't been in a situation like this. Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers touched on this issue as well. What we are doing right now isn't working for these kids and if we continue doing what are doing now it wont work for their kids either. We need to get behind the President and adopt all of his ideas. We cannot be afarid to change. We must try new things. If the ideas fail than we know how to do what we are doing now. This speech was excelent I am proud to have a President that understands the context from which I teach.

The speech can be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-at-the-Department-of-Education/

This I Believe part 3

2009-07-23T08:35:00.000-07:00

This post will contain very little if any research and will be almost entirely personal. I believe that every child can learn and I do not believe in academic elitism. I shall first begin talking about myself. My wife and I talked last night about how I really seemed to hit my stride at about 27. In terms of my prospects for the future they are doing really well now. Recently I scored a 670/770/5.0 (v/m/w) (89th percentile/94th/84th) on the GRE. However, it wasn't always that way. From the time I was in 1st grade until 5th grade I was in a "pull out" version of special education because or my lack of ability to successfully use written communication. After I was in 7th grade my ability to organize my written communication showed up again and this I was tested and found to have dyscriptia which is sort of a cousin of dyslexia. I was found to have a 36 (2.4 sd's) point gap in the difference between my performance IQ and my expressive IQ. Unfortunately my local public school did not have anything that would suit my almost unique needs. However, I was lucky enough to have grandparents who are wealthy and there was a private school that did have a program about 25 miles away and so that is where I was placed. I was in their quasi-special ed 1 period a day for 3 years. I did 11th and 12 grades "on my own" and have graduated with honors with a double in econ and business admin from Seattle Pacific University in 1999, with honors and a teaching degree in 2008 from Idaho State University, and I am now in graduate school. What made the difference in my life started with caring, thoughtful parents and teachers who put a lot of effort into me. With the exception of 4th and 6th grade (those teachers were merely average, I did not have any bad teachers until I hit college) I had almost exclusively fantastic, caring teachers who made it possible for me to have the future I have now.

In 2003 I stated foster parenting with a fiance. The fiance did not last, but the foster parenting did. Two of the boys stuck and still live with me today. The younger one is 19 and he is the one I will tell you about. He has an Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder--usually called FAS. His measured IQ is 75 and he is ADD. Statistically there is not a chance in the world he should graduate. Yet, his freshman year he was taken under the wing of the man who runs the tech program at Minidoka High School and by the lady that was his case manager. Because of there work, caring and thoughtfulness he not only graduated, but was able to wear the sash that those who graduated from the pre-engineering program get to wear. While he will never be an engineer, the accomplishment of these two teacher is breathtaking.

As you can see from my personal experiences a teacher can create a future for a child that is beyond what they otherwise would have been capable. Therefore, it is my belief that a teacher needs to maximize the effort of all students because its not always apparent from the out who can and will be successful.

This I Believe part 2

2009-07-21T18:39:00.000-07:00

In my last post I mentioned that my daughter attended three camps this summer. The church camp was free, but the other two cost hundreds of dollars. If I was not lucky enough to have wealthy parents and grandparents she would not had these opportunities. Why did I ask my parents and grandmother to help out? Because I know that an unchallenged mind rots over the summer. This is not to say I am against summer vacation. I am not. I am against three months of it being compulsory, but I am not a foe of the idea of summer vacation.

Many of you have read Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers where he talks about how academic loss is much greater for poor children than wealthy children over the summer. He points out that during the school year academic gains are almost exactly the same when other factors are held constant. However, the intellectual opportunities for non-economically disadvantaged children create a profound difference over the summer. Mr. Gladwell is not the only person to report on this effect. In a 1996 study called The effects of summer vacation on achievement test scores: A narrative and meta-analysis review Cooper et al. found "On average, children from low-income families lost nearly three months of grade-level equivalency during the summer months each year, compared to an average one month lost by middle-income children when reading and mathematics performance were combined." I beleieve this is a strong statement.

Often in education we are forced to prioritize our effects. A lesson plan that play so to the strength of our more advanced students may be lost on some of our other students. Waiting until all of our class has mastered a concept to move on can really help our lower students, but may leave our advanced students bored. However, this time we can kill two birds with one stone. Extending the school year decreases the educational gap created by economic disparities and offers teachers and schools more hours with which to present more extended learning opportunities to our advanced learners. More school will equal more success.

This I Believe part 1

2009-07-21T08:52:00.000-07:00

NPR had a series a while back called "This I Believe". While I didn't catch a single episode of it, I am stealing their idea. School has not started yet so there is nothing too write on that topic yet. Therefore, I will take the next couple of weeks to discuss things I believe about education.

My first job was at a McDonald's in Everett, WA. I made $4.35 an hour to start. The cool thing was, the more I worked, the more I got paid. Those who worked more than I did, benefited more than I did. Those worked less, benefited less. For as long as I can remember people have been very concerned about how the performance of children in the US has declined when measured against the rest of the world. There are many reasons for this decline, but one that I believe is a major contributor to the decline is the fact that our children simply spend less time in school than children in other countries. Consider the following table that lists counteries and how many days their children go to school:

Japan 243
Korea 220
China 221
Australia 196
Russia 195
Netherlands 191
England 190
Canada 188
United States 180

It should be noted that 180 is the average in the United States. Here in Idaho its 177 days of school a year. Now I am not saying that more days of school is a panacea that will cure all ills. I am also not trying to day say that all of the schools on the list are superior to those in the United States. What I am trying to say is that just like my paycheck when I was working at McDonald's, our students would benefit from more days in school. This is not a thought unconnected with my actions. 3 of the 4 kids I have that could have gone to summer school went. My 12 year old daughter had 3 camps (science, art, and church) so, coupled with her all A's and A-'s, we decided that she would benefit less from summer school than the other children. I am taking summer classes as well in pursuit of my masters.

I am not the only one that feels this way. President Obama does as well: http://www.eduinreview.com/blog/2009/03/obama-proposes-longer-school-days-extended-school-year/ (it should be noted that at least one of the numbers of for days of school inthe chart on this article is slighly different than the other numbers I found-- I am not sure why there is a difference)

Now we all have different opinions on our president. He is probably less popular here than he is in most states. However, as he has two young daughters, he has a dog in this fight! If he gets what he wants, his own children will be effected. Now, I know plenty of people who wish he was not our president, but I do not know anyone who questions his love for his daughters.

Inmy next post I will finish this thought up by discussing the disperate effect of the small number of school days oin the rich versus the poor.

The purpose of this blog

2009-07-20T11:36:00.000-07:00

In this blog I will share my experiences as a second year teacher and a graduate student at Idaho State University. I will talk about my thoughts on my teaching, my profession, and current events in education. What I will NOT talk about in here is individual students, teachers, or anything critical about my school or district. If I do share stories from my classroom names of my students will be changed to names of Muppets and no student will be given the same name twice.