Show Me Respect, Or Else!
A few weeks ago, two students showed up for English class a few minutes late–not the first time–and shuffled into their seats, smirking and tossing their backpacks to the floor.… Read more Show Me Respect, Or Else! →
Would You–Or Do You–Monitor Your Child’s Digital Activity?
In 1994, when I was 13 years old, I did what I suspect many 13 year-old boys might do. I snuck into my younger sister’s room, found her colorfully-bound private… Read more Would You–Or Do You–Monitor Your Child’s Digital Activity? →
Should High School Students Have Jobs?
Here’s a typical scenario that I’ve witnessed over and over again during the last several years as a high school teacher: JP is an average student, receiving mostly B’s and… Read more Should High School Students Have Jobs? →
When Should Students Become Responsible For Their Own Success?
I don’t blame Steffon for his distrust issues; after all, he’s bounced around from foster parent to foster parent. I don’t blame Sara for her constant angst and depression; after… Read more When Should Students Become Responsible For Their Own Success? →
Don’t Overuse ‘Good Job!”
If you finish your homework, I’ll give you a candy bar. But if you don’t finish your homework, you’ll get timeout. If you be quiet, you’ll get five extra minutes… Read more Don’t Overuse ‘Good Job!” →
The Great Discipline Conundrum
Retiring after 38 years in education, my coworker and friend recently described his school days attending Catholic Grade School in Southwest Louisville, an area then–and still–a working class and comparatively impoverished part… Read more The Great Discipline Conundrum →
Reflections: Is Grammar Worth Teaching?
I teach English and I write professionally, but I don’t remember how I learned grammar. I’ve always been a reader, and my father is an excellent editor who helped me… Read more Reflections: Is Grammar Worth Teaching? →
Lamenting Screen Time and the Decline of Creative Play
Because we don’t know when we will die, we get to think of life as an inexhaustible well, yet everything happens only a certain number of times, and a very… Read more Lamenting Screen Time and the Decline of Creative Play →
To the Presidential Candidates: Q & A’s We Should Hear
I cringe when I watch the Presidential debates. My heart rate elevates slightly. I keep waiting for questions and answers that nobody wants to hear, questions and answers that we… Read more To the Presidential Candidates: Q & A’s We Should Hear →
Paul Barnwell 