January 2013
1 post
4 tags
Random Awards of Awesome
Period 1 (Journalism) wins the award for best inquiries. There are a few people who are asking important people amazing questions. Made my day.
Period 2 wins for best sonnets. Super impressive. Made my day.
Period 3 wins for best discussions and best questions. Made my day.
Period 5 wins for making me laugh with borderline inappropriate sonnets and Sweat Jar Avenue.
Period 6 wins for best...
December 2012
2 posts
November 2012
3 posts
2 tags
October 2012
3 posts
Student recommendations
One of the perks of teaching high school is that kids know what’s funny. And they tell you. And you watch whatever they tell you. And they laugh.
One of my awesome seniors (hi, Lloyd!) let me borrow Mean Girls because I hadn’t seen it before. I was a bit skeptical, mainly because it stars Lindsay Lohan, and, well, need I say more? But when the opening credits started and I saw...
September 2012
12 posts
“I guess the real metaphor is not you-can-only-make-stuff-if-people-hold-you-up;...”
– John Green (via bakazaru7)
3 tags
“If we lose great teachers, we lose a great society.”
– Debbie Padilla, principal of Ann Sobrato High School
I invited Ms. Padilla in to my journalism class for a press conference. My journalism students had amazing questions prepared for her, and she happily answered them honestly and thoroughly. Many of her answers were touching, but this one really...
Dear students who made me smile today,
Thanks. It was a tough one.
Also, talking to students about books and helping students who don’t often read find a book they’re interested in is easily the highlight of my week.
Wear pink tomorrow!
“My thoughts are stars I can’t fathom into constellations.”
– Augustus, The Fault in Our Stars (via alexandsebring)
1 tag
So it's been a while ...
I haven’t updated since school started, and I’ve had a few students who have asked why.
The easy answer: I’m busy!
The real answer: There are reasons this school year is already sad, and I haven’t wanted to write about them.
So I won’t. Yet.
If you’re one of my students and are wondering why I have a Tumblr, I have a short explanation. I was going to use it...
“I got dumped when I was, like, twenty-two and it was really devastating to me...”
– John Green (via just-andy)
“Rowling wrote Hermione to eschew stereotypes. She doesn’t end up with the hero;...”
– Liz Feuerbach, The Women of The Harry Potter Universe (via writingadvice)
Had to Reblog. I really get validated by stuff like this. Hermione, is a truly inspiring and true-to-life character.
(via shaleemae)
August 2012
3 posts
1 tag
english teacher: never kill off your main character it shows poor writing skills
shakespeare: excuse you
victor hugo: lol
July 2012
15 posts
“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love...”
– Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird (via ma-risa)
4 tags
Today in "Things English Teachers Worry About"
I just finished re-reading Hamlet, and it’s far more amazing than I remembered it. I read it for a general ed English class my first semester in college. That was 11 years ago (ouch).
Hamlet considers suicide in the first act. His famous “To be our not to be” speech is later in Act III. While I marveled at the number of famous lines I recognized while reading these two speeches,...
“You are so busy being you that you have no idea how utterly unprecedented you...”
– Augustus Waters, The Fault In Our Stars (John Green)
Boys, take note.
5 tags
Time to play "Awesome? Or crazy?"
I had a dream in which I met John Green. We had a great conversation too. (awesome!)
We met at a large dinner that served terrible food, and to drink we had the new The Fault in Our Stars milk. (crazy?)
I was wearing pajamas. (also crazy)
I hope one day I get to have a real conversation with John Green because I appreciate how he views the world and I appreciate how he expresses that...
“Well, I guess Hazel wants to know what will happen to her own mother after she...”
– John Green, on why Hazel is so concerned about what happens to Anna’s mom in AIA. (via bottleonthebookcase)
“I have learned now that while those who speak about one’s miseries usually hurt,...”
– C. S. Lewis
Everyday Nonsense: Why are Americans being so damn... →
ameliawordsworth:
On my dash, there’s tons of msgs from Americans telling British blogs to “suck it” or “you suck just like your country” because “You damn Brits need to get off the American internet, especially today!”
Uh… I get it, it’s the 4th of July but that doesn’t justify running to British people…
Is it shocking that many of the insult-flingers don’t know how to use...
5 tags
June 2012
7 posts
3 tags
HOME
After being in Austin, Texas for two weeks, I have to say I’m happy to be home. I will update about the trip since it was an institute for high school journalism teachers and was, for the most part, awesome. But for now, I’m happy sitting on the couch, listening to the new Curious Quail album (which makes my heart happy), petting my dog, and talking to the hubs. This is home. And I am...
.:INSTANT GRATIFICATION:. is here!
curiousquail:
Get your physical copy at our CD Release Party TONIGHT at San Pedro Square Market 87 N. San Pedro St, San Jose CA 95110 All Ages. FREE. Doors at 7pm, Cartoon Bar Fight at 8. CURIOUS QUAIL AT 9. — Available online at: Bandcamp - Full album nets you 3 bonus tracks and the PDF booklet iTunes Google Play .:INSTANT GRATIFICATION:. is also available through Spotify.
John Green's tumblr: Julie Strauss-Gabel on... →
fishingboatproceeds:
My publisher, Julie Strauss-Gabel, has a tumblr but hasn’t quite figured out how to maximize the tumblr experience. However, she sent me this after reading my defense of critical reading and the kind of analysis that is done in literature classes. Read it:
I think at the heart of this…
An interesting discussion about analyzing literature versus simply enjoying...
2 tags
6 tags
"These violent delights have violent ends." -...
It’s no secret that it’s been a rough year at Ann Sobrato High, where I teach. We’ve endured more tragedies than a school should ever have to, all in one year.
In November, we lost a dear student, Tara Romero. She was gunned down by gang members while waiting for a ride home with her friends. I had Tara last year when she was in 8th grade. I had her two girlfriends too. And her...
May 2012
1 post
April 2012
4 posts
Can I just say ...
… that spring break is amazing?
The end.
3 tags
2 tags
