M.D. Saints Writes

It is Women’s History month.  I actually did not know there was a Women’s History month.  I sat down to type this out and, somehow, something popped up, I think on Amazon maybe…as I was procrastinating, and I thought huh, did not know that was a thing.  But!  In the event you did know this was a thing, because I’m so out of touch with so many things that are things, I have some pretty great resources that jive well with it.   “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell This classic one-act play is based on the real-life trial of Margaret Hossack for the 1900 murder of her husband.  It’s an engaging read that allows the students to piece…

The march through February continues rapidly apace!  Now that the theatrics of Valentine’s is another year away, I can continue mostly unabated until the end of the year.  St. Patrick’s Day just does not spark the same kind of dramatic flair amongst the children that Valentine’s Day does!  Thankfully.  X) Last post I hit upon some of my favorite Black History Month resources and now I’m touching upon the two more.  (Though Hurston’s “Sweat” is my number one favorite!) “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks “We Real Cool” is a very brief and relatable poem for students to engage with.  It involves some seemingly rebellious teenagers in front of a pool hall, hanging out and skipping…

Ah, February.  Love is in the air.  The balloons, the carnations, the absolutely unnecessary sugar consumption in the halls.  Valentine’s Day, really the whole week of it, is one of those times of the year that I find…trying.  There is added excitement, angst, moodiness and stinky, overpowering body sprays.  Last year I had a dental cleaning on Valentine’s Day; I was not sorry to leave school early for it!  In my experience, it’s a rather distractable, and often times dramatic, few days for the students and therefore, me. To take advantage of the high-flowing oxytocin of the week, while keeping focus and standards, I like to work in a little Bard Bonus unit and cover Shakespeare’s…

Wow, 2024.  Another calendar year down and half a school year to go!  Those two weeks of Christmas break go by so quickly and they can sometimes be so hustle and bustle that there isn’t much time to recover from the first semester to prepare for the second one.  Everything just keeps marching forward. Third quarter, for many (and definitely for me), is generally the longest.  In my district, it’s a time of heavy test prep and very few days off.  We plough through it, and I tick the days off my summer countdown to give everyone a little light at the end of the long testing tunnel.  I have found that during this time,…

The last blog post and email of the year is here!  There is a week and a half left of my district’s semester and boy are we all counting down the days.  Hours even!   The last day or two prior to break is oftentimes one of low attendance and high energy and expectation.  Students are eager to get out of school and begin their vacation, or family time or friend time, or for most of them, just to relish in not being at school.   Unfortunately, it’s been my experience that oftentimes the students who look forward to breaks the most, are the ones who struggle the most and have done the least.  These couple…

And the close of November is upon us.  Where did my favorite month go?  The inflatable neighborhood yard turkeys have given way to inflatable Santas and reindeer and dragons and minions.  So strange.  Why are there no inflatable Thanksgiving dragons? And the countdown to Christmas Break is officially on.  Just over three weeks to go and still so much to cover.  With summative assessments to give, projects to collect (so they can sit untouched over break—everything can wait until the planning day in January as far as I am concerned!) and last-minute Hail Mary PTCs requested by parents, there is plenty to do. This is prime time-guarding season.  Very necessary in order to maintain sanity.  At least so…

Thanksgiving Break is practically upon us!  The students are restless.  I am restless.  I can practically smell the pumpkin pie and cookies and all things yummy fresh from the oven!  So close!  When I was in school Thanksgiving Break consisted of Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday; we were busy in classes Monday-Wednesday of that week.  And I do not ever recall there being a high rate of absenteeism.  When I started teaching in 2008 (for the same district I graduated from), students had gained Wednesday off.  I remember being so wowed.  But, the truancy was high for Monday and Tuesday.  Really, those two days had so many absences at my school that they were like planning days.  Then a few…

Happy November!  November is my favorite month.  The weather here in my Sunshine State has begun to cool so my AC is not coming on as much, which is of course very helpful for the electric bill.  Many homes have fun inflatable turkeys in their yards for the dogs and I to enjoy as we walk around the neighborhood.  And Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday.  It’s such a simple holiday to me.  Food and family and rest.  Though I suppose I can say rest because I have a rather large family and we do a pot luck meal, so it’s not like I’m in the kitchen days beforehand.  I make cookies or a sweet potato casserole and…

It is hard to believe that first quarter in my district, and surrounding districts, is already over.  The big start of the year doings are a distant memory (at least for the students), and my hot and humid Florida weather has given way to a dryer cool to let me know that Fall has officially arrived.  Even if he does not ultimately stay very long.  Many homes have open doors and windows, inviting Fall to sit and stay awhile, though I know he won’t. It’s in the fall that I use some of my favorite short story lessons.  I already did a post on Edgar Allan Poe, but here are some other fun and…