The following is courtesy of the venerable Bill Bryson in his book Shakespeare: The World as Stage. I share it in the beginning of the school year with my students in my Shakespeare 101 elective class. Some think it rather trivial, but as the class progresses, many begin to see that the scope of Shakespeare’s … Continue reading Why Shakespeare Matters To People Who Don’t Think Shakespeare Matters
Author: caffeinatedrage
DaddyStu and MalcolmSon – When Your Kid Calls You By Your First Name
Not everyone gets to have a moniker that pretty much states that he is the "daddy" of something. There's Puff Daddy. Trick Daddy. Daddy Yankee. That Dad Rapper on You Tube Mac Daddy and Daddy Mack who make you wanta jump, jump! Big Daddy Kane. And then there's DaddyStu. Doesn't get any more original than that. … Continue reading DaddyStu and MalcolmSon – When Your Kid Calls You By Your First Name
Teachers, Winter Is Coming, So Get Your Dragons!
“Winter is Coming!” Actually it’s here, at least according to the calendar, and by the looks of it here in the piedmont of North Carolina, it surely does look like winter outside with a blanket of snow on the ground. But also metaphorically speaking, “Winter is Coming!” Trump is descending upon Westeros, D.C to lay … Continue reading Teachers, Winter Is Coming, So Get Your Dragons!
From Texas, The Greatest Country in the United States – “I Can’t Answer These Texas Standardized Test Questions About My Own Poems” (From Huffington Post)
This is both hilarious - AND SCARY at the same time. Enjoy and keep in mind that this is the status quo in a test crazy society. It starts, "When I realized I couldn’t answer the questions posed about two of my own poems on the Texas state assessment tests (STAAR Test), I had a … Continue reading From Texas, The Greatest Country in the United States – “I Can’t Answer These Texas Standardized Test Questions About My Own Poems” (From Huffington Post)
Open Letter to Dave Machado, Charter School Chief for the State of North Carolina Concerning His Words About the Annual Charter Schools Report
Dear Mr. Machado, As the Director for the State Office of Charter Schools in North Carolina, your words concerning the annual charter schools report just recently made to the State Board of Education prove not just interesting, but rather selective and uninformed and display an attitude to make sure that charter schools in North Carolina … Continue reading Open Letter to Dave Machado, Charter School Chief for the State of North Carolina Concerning His Words About the Annual Charter Schools Report
Vouchers, Charters, and Choice! Oh, My! – Dorothy, You’re Not in Public School Anymore
"Lions, and tigers, and bears! Oh, my!" – Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz. "Vouchers, Charters, and Choice! Oh, my!" – Me As the North Carolina General Assembly is about to convene for the long session here in the new year, it bears repeating that public education will again be at the … Continue reading Vouchers, Charters, and Choice! Oh, My! – Dorothy, You’re Not in Public School Anymore
“NERD” Is Now A Cool Thing To Be
Someone call you a nerd and it offended you? Maybe it should depend on how it is meant. From Dictionary.com: Nerd: noun, Slang. 1. a person considered to be socially awkward, boring, unstylish, etc. 2. an intelligent but single-minded person obsessed with a nonsocial hobby or pursuit: 1950-55, Americanism; obscurely derived expressive formation From Thesaurus.com: Fool, jerk, techie, weirdo, dolt, dork, dweeb, goober, goofball, oaf, trekkie Sorry, people. That negative connotation surrounding the word “nerd” is gone. Like in elapsed, … Continue reading “NERD” Is Now A Cool Thing To Be
Why Do We Have Exams After The Winter Break?Change The Calendar!
Days like today is why we need to start the school year earlier here in North Carolina. While it is nice to think of having a winter break to celebrate the holidays, the calendar system that North Carolina has adopted for traditional public schools is not helping our students AT ALL. I have argued this … Continue reading Why Do We Have Exams After The Winter Break?Change The Calendar!
Mark Twain and the Fight Against “Eduperialism” in North Carolina
“We believe that out of the public school grows the greatness of a nation.” – Mark Twain The above quote by Mark Twain was delivered on November 23, 1900 in a speech to the Public Education Association at a meeting of the Berkley Lyceum, New York. It is sometimes called his “Boxer Speech” as Twain … Continue reading Mark Twain and the Fight Against “Eduperialism” in North Carolina
The Top Ten Posts Of 2016 – Read Again For the First Time Or Ignore Once More
Only in order of when they were posted, these were chosen not due to the number of views or comments, but by their subject matter and its relevance to what may be of importance in the next year. Enjoy. And thanks for reading. Open Letter to Catherine Truitt, senior advisor on education to Gov. Pat … Continue reading The Top Ten Posts Of 2016 – Read Again For the First Time Or Ignore Once More
