594. Norks and Noogly

Ten year old Merlin was having a bad day. There are many things Merlin doesn’t know yet that most other third-graders know. That’s true every day, but usually, Merlin’s teacher, his parents, and many other people in his life work hard to keep him thinking about what he does know, and what he can and…

I’ve never understood football, and I’ve never really wanted to. Seeing people play it, and seeing people watch people play it, live or on television, I got the distinct impression that it was not my kind of game. It seemed to be a game in which knocking people down was supposed to be a good…

I first met Eliza when she was in second grade. I volunteered in her classroom. Sandy was a teacher assigned to help include her in the class. I had very little contact with Eliza; I tried to reach out to her, but she seemed to have problems that were beyond me. She seemed very intense…

Parents, teachers, children, and other people often get cast in roles they’re expected to play. They do, say, or write something that impresses other people, either because they do it so well or just because at least they DO it. It may or may not astound people, but at least it impresses them enough to…

I’m in a fairly unique position in a school system, and I’m developing a conviction that it’s too bad it’s so unique. I stay with the children as they move from grade to grade, and so I really get to know them. If a child has a noteworthy experience or does something significant in first…

Teachers sometimes get quite attached to what they teach. They work hard to develop or find curriculum and use it with children, and if they use ideas that work, they tend to want to be able to keep using those ideas. That’s pretty normal; why mess with success? If something turns out to be effective…