Storytelling. Fact and fiction. One word at a time.
I found a photo on the internet of a beautiful woman on the floor strategically placed at a laptop, her legs opened, lap top between her knees, a glass of wine to her left and loose papers strewn about. The shot was from above so there was ample cleavage for the viewer. Because I don't... Continue Reading →
At the start of every English class we quietly read. Every single day. It's the ritual of the class. For students it's the few minutes of transition from a noisy hallway to a focused Language Arts class. It's the shift in gears from perhaps math, or social studies or physical education. For me it's also... Continue Reading →
Teaching has its ups and downs and sometimes the bounce between presenting, demonstrating, teaching and evaluating is intense. Yesterday was a long day and a good portion of it was spent in front of the computer. It was a giddy-up kind of day. Dave and I typically meet on Wednesdays but I was just too... Continue Reading →
I do this thing when I read. I take a pen, usually a colored one, and draw a loopy circle around a section that I love or that I want to find later. It stands out and it's easy to find. I do this because of Mrs. Hynd, who taught me in 1981. "Circle all... Continue Reading →
Mr. Robertson, my high school art teacher would give me between a 70 to 80 on my assignments---always. Occasionally I’d get a 68 (ouch) and sometimes I’d get an 85 (yay) but generally I sat squarely in those mid-marks. Those were my best grades in high school, Art and English (and occasionally Social Studies). Every... Continue Reading →
I hate to sound like a cliché but I served tables while in art school. Between customers I would work on my art history class at the staff table. I would leave my notebook open while I worked. The regulars, who were on a first name basis, would sometimes sit at the staff table. If... Continue Reading →
When I was in Grade One, our teacher, Mrs. Lawrence, would put a piece of paper that was super big (probably only 11x17 but it felt gigantic) on each desk and then she would go around the class with a permanent marker and make a line or a squiggle on everyone's page. From that single... Continue Reading →
I am officially on Christmas holidays. I just finished up the second quint of this school year. For those of you who don't know, a quint is a mini semester, created to help teachers reduce daily contact with students. It went smashingly well. Here's why: I had an incredible intern who did her practice teaching... Continue Reading →
I recently received this message: Hello and welcome to the most random-out-of-context message you may have ever received—but the other day I was in Shoppers Drug Mart with my best friend and she grabbed a box of condoms. After stifling my gag reflex at the realization that she is now in fact in a relationship... Continue Reading →
We’re all at home doing the social distancing, the self-isolating, the quarantining thing. We were plunged into this suddenly back in March and now that it’s been two months I can say that I have shimmied myself into a way of being that isn’t terrible, but I have someone to thank: Dan, the electrician. I’m... Continue Reading →
Angie Counios 