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I Changed My Mind

I changed my mind on what to do with this blog. I'm going to update it every once in awhile and, over the course of the year, slowly edit old posts and create a book (Potential titles include A TV's Guide to the First Year of Teaching and Television Tutors Read More...
Posted Saturday, August 08, 2009 11:32 AM from John Spencer | 1 Comments
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Last Post

Today's post was my last post on this blog. I'm going to take the current blogs I have and add them to some other writing I've been doing. In the end, it will be a free eBook entitled A TV's Guide to the First Year of Teaching. The book will consist of Read More...
Posted Thursday, July 30, 2009 10:12 PM from John Spencer | 0 Comments

CSI and PBL

Every year when I do the career exploration unit, the most popular profession is crime scene investigator. I'm sure a real crime scene investigator would cringe at this and tell me that it's not at all like television. It's long hours and micromanaging Read More...
Posted Tuesday, July 28, 2009 9:08 AM from John Spencer | 1 Comments

No Huddle Offense

The Super Bowl is the quintessential American holiday. It's a time where family and friends meet together, united by the shared values of commercialism, consumerism and watching a 300 pound line man violently throw down a quarterback. It's a day to relax, Read More...
Posted Wednesday, July 22, 2009 10:06 AM from John Spencer | 0 Comments

Boredom: Days of Our Lives

Bored people are dangerous. I'm not referring here to the lazy boredom of a Sunday afternoon. There's nothing dangerous about sitting at home and saying, "There's nothing to eat and none of the movies see dull." I certainly wouldn't send an intervention Read More...
Posted Tuesday, July 21, 2009 6:54 PM from John Spencer | 1 Comments

Horror Films, Fox News and the Culture of Fear

I'm watching The Office and I see the most offensive commercial for a horror film. The basic plot premise involves a family who adopts an orphan who turns out to be a violent, possessed little girl. It's the same idea as any horror film - the enemy is Read More...
Posted Friday, July 17, 2009 6:13 PM from John Spencer | 1 Comments
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Diffrentiated Discipline: A Cosby Moment

Schools make a huge deal about differentiated instruction yet they seem to support a standardized approach to discipline. It's somehow "unfair" to treat a hyperactive loud student differently in discipline than a mild-mannered introvert, while we take Read More...
Posted Friday, July 17, 2009 9:30 AM from John Spencer | 0 Comments
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Star Trek: When Cooperative Learning Works

for what it's worth, that's not me -- and never will be I'm not a Trekkie. I swear that I have never attended a conference, seminar or book-signing event connected to any of the characters. I don't own a Spock outfit, complete with the spikey ears. I Read More...
Posted Thursday, July 16, 2009 9:41 AM from John Spencer | 0 Comments

Meaningless Facts: The Day Cliff Clavin Lost in Jeopardy

One of my favorite Cheers episodes involved the day that Cliff Clavin appeared on Jeopardy. Finally, he had a venue where people cared about his theoretical knowledge. In fact, it was less than mere theory. Cliff simply memorized facts and recalled them Read More...
Posted Thursday, July 16, 2009 8:50 AM from John Spencer | 0 Comments
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Bewitched: There Are No Formulas

We gather together in the cafeteria as two snake oil salesmen present a the magical management potion. By reciting an incantation on a lamenated card, we will prevent discipline problems from escalating. For their part, the men seem like the most sincere Read More...
Posted Wednesday, July 15, 2009 12:54 PM from John Spencer | 0 Comments
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You Can't Be Friends, But You Can Create a Place Where Everybody Knows Your Name

When I was a kid, I remember wishing that I had a place where people would yell, "John" as I walked through the door. I felt envious toward the under-achieving Norm on Cheers and thought, "I wish I had a place like that. I wish I had a neutral zone free Read More...
Posted Wednesday, July 15, 2009 9:22 AM from John Spencer | 1 Comments
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Don't Be a Judge Judy

In middle school we run by a "team" concept. At first the term conjures up images of high fives and spitting sunflower seeds and wearing matching uniforms. In reality, teams in schools are more like forced families, forged together by a common desire Read More...
Posted Wednesday, July 15, 2009 8:25 AM from John Spencer | 1 Comments
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Word World

I'm sitting here on a lazy summer morning. It's blazingly hot outside and our air conditioning hums softly while blasting out a steady stream of cool air. Bored of playing Legos and tired of using watercolors, I plop the boys in front of the electronic Read More...
Posted Tuesday, July 14, 2009 2:04 PM from John Spencer | 0 Comments
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Boundaries: Behind the Music

Every once in awhile, usually when someone talks about Stand and Deliver or Freedom Writers , I find myself jealous of the Silverscreen Superteachers . I know that I am supposed to feel inspired, but I rarely feel that way. Instead, I feel guilty. I feel Read More...
Posted Monday, July 13, 2009 12:36 PM from John Spencer | 2 Comments
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The CNN Syndrome

Pacing can be really difficult. How long does it take a group of seventh graders to write two paragraphs? (In my experience, fifteen minutes at the beginning of the year and ten minutes later). How long does it take to fill out a web? How much time should Read More...
Posted Friday, July 10, 2009 8:35 AM from John Spencer | 0 Comments
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