Okay, so this photo probably isn’t fair. Of course, I felt gratitude on the day my older daughter met my younger daughter. (This isn’t the day my younger daughter was born because she came at 9:44 pm, but it’s certainly within twenty-four hours of her birth. This is all beside the point.) On this day,…
“Why”…Wednesdays
46. Why I Love Netflix
To begin writing this post, I took a screenshot (above) of my Netflix home page. Just seeing it made me think about spending the next few hours relaxing with a movie or a few shows rather than writing this post, but I resisted. That first icon, of the glorious Carol Kane, opens up my computer’s…
45. Why Have a Rival
I took the photo above at my school this week, Spirit Week. Hotchkiss’ big rival is Taft, a school that as far as I know is in all ways like Hotchkiss except that they wear red jerseys rather than blue ones. Some adults (and maybe some kids, but I haven’t heard from them) at my…
44. Why Say “Hello”
Photo Credit: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/11HHsXlNL68WCGZh3QQ43gK/hello-hey-and-hi-the-meanings-behind-greetings Sometimes, people walk along oblivious to what’s going on around them. Whatever they have brewing in their minds prevents them from seeing and hearing the people who pass them by. However, most of the time, probably for reasons of safety, no matter what people contemplate, they still notice their surroundings. Let’s think…
43. Why I Count off for Repeated Errors
The photo above shows the bottom line of one of my grading rubrics. I added this line for my students and for myself. For my students, I hope knowing about this line helps them pay more attention to not repeating past errors. Any person who can avoid making the same mistake more than once will…
42. Why I Don’t Eat Meat
Okay, anybody who’s been reading these posts for a while will notice that I’ve used this photo before. I’m sorry. I couldn’t face putting in a bloody meat photo. Yuck. I decided to go with what I do like, carbs. Photo aside, the first answer to this question people sometimes ask me is, I don’t…
41. Why Mark Essays with Numbers
I know that English teachers love words. I love words, but I also love numbers. I’m not talking about math (though I love math, too); I’m talking about the Conventions of Composition website that offers self-help for grammar. My primary goal in assigning students to write essays is to help them learn to write better….
40. Why I Got Duped
I’ve been debating writing this post, but Google Analytics (which I check daily) assures me that most days, nobody looks at my website. If past performance is an indicator of future results, maybe two people will read this post. Ever. All this to say, I’m thinking of my blog as a private journal, a safe…
39. Why Everything Should Sparkle
If you look straight at my eyes, you might have to shut your eyes because of the glare. If you look straight at my shoes, you’ll think I’m wearing a big version of shoes made for a three-year-old kid. I’m fine with both of these. In the past few years, I’ve embraced my love of…
38. Why to Consider Boarding School
I copied this photo from the Hotchkiss website. If you’re thinking thinking, “It can’t be that pretty at the school where she works,” you’d be wrong. It is this beautiful, except in the fall, when it’s even more beautiful as the leaves turn vibrant shades of red, yellow, and orange. But the beauty of the…