Homeschooling the Kids

The 2011-12 school year has started and Jamie and I have decided to home school the kids.

Rachel, who is entering grade 9, has been signed up with Connections Academy, a free on-line public school.

Caleb, who is entering 11th Grade has been signed up with Alpha Omega Academy, an on-line private school.

We have been considering this for sometime and the pending move to the Waxahachie area just made the decision easier.

Both curricula are highly rated and are accredited with the state. The kids can learn at their own pace and could graduate earlier than they could in public schools.

In other news: Continue to pray our house sells quickly so our family can be reunited soon.

Saying Goodbye!

Even though my last day at Kilgore College is not until next Thursday, my students wanted to give me a little going away party. They had taken up a donation and purchased some pizza from Little Caesar's and we had lunch instead of our normal writing class. They also bought me a card and a little trophy as a gift. The trophy has the lamp of knowledge on it and a little plaque that says..."Mr. English, You Have Made The Difference!" written on it. The card also had some nice things written in it as well.

As a teacher, it feels good to be appreciated for what you do. It's sad that most of the 6th-8th Grade students I taught in the public schools didn't or won't always appreciate you until later. At least these students value a good teacher now.

Why I Teach

Sometimes I forget why I chose to teach in the first place. The pay is nowhere near what the job is worth, the discipline problems with students and their parents grow worse every day, and the unrealistic expectations put on teachers by the state are driving more and more teachers away every year.

Just when you think all is lost, God sends me reminder why I teach. Even though I no longer teach in the public schools, it was from one of my former students that God spoke to me.

Today (Friday, May 3, 2008) I received an envelope from the current principal of Gilmer High School. In the envelope was a "Thank You" note with the following: "Mr. English, Our students wrote essays about teachers who have had a positive impact on their lives. Name of student withheld...wrote about you. I though you might like to have a copy of what she wrote."

Folded up inside the note was the following letter...

"History was not my subject. I couldn't have cared less about the distant past of the aging world. The teachers just neglected to provide the drive to listen. Which soon changed when I walked into my eighth-grade American History classroom. There was Mr. English with his awesome smile and the desire to spread his knowledge. The bell rang and we sat.

'"Does anyone in here know anything about America?" Mr. English questioned. "I hope you don't. I wouldn't want to spoil the intelligence any of your past teachers might have handed out to you on a sheet of paper." He said this with a kind of humorous tone. I'd imagine he said that to every class that walked through that old, rusted door.

After his speech on the student body's lack of knowledge on the subject, he sat down and told us to introduce ourselves to the class. One by one, my classmates and I stood up and shared our story. Then Mr. English sat silently for a horribly quite five minutes and then he quoted something from the Constitution. Then he remarked, "That was history in the making right in front of you. Do you understand? You ARE history!"

Wow! I'd never thought of that. It was like the class was enlightened with the desire to know what he knows. We wanted to listen to his teachings. That's exactly what he wanted.

Since that day, I have enjoyed the subject. No one has taught history with more interest and determination than Mr. English. I would absolutely hate to find him teaching any other subject. I thank him for providing that drive I so longed for; for inspiring me to listen and understand the wonders of the past."

Thank you, Name of student withheld...for reminding me why I chose to teach in the first place. I hope you reach your dream of becoming the "First Woman President of the United States." Well, maybe the 2nd if Hillary Clinton somehow manages to beat you to it.

Two Blogs for the Price of One

How often do you hear the ads on television say buy one get one free?, or two for the price of one? Well, today is your lucky (or unlucky) day to get two blogs for the price of one.

Blog 1 -- Am I a good teacher or just a great presenter of information?

Many times I have wondered if I am a good teacher or not. I have always claimed, "I am not a great teacher, just a good one." Is that really true? After doing much soul searching and honest looking at my teaching methods and style, I have come to the conclusion that I am a better than average teacher who just happens to be a great presenter of information.

A good (or great teacher) takes the time to make sure their students truly comprehend what is expected of them and that they are able to perform that task well. Surprisingly I have found that I do not always do that. I present the information to my students in such a way that is easy to understand and easy to duplicate. If they have questions I will answer them. My weakness lies in the fact I rarely follow up to see if my students have actually grasp the "concept" of what they are being taught. I tend to throw information out there and leave them to struggle to find meaning behind what they have been given.

I have found that the best subject I teach is Math! (What a surprise considering I barely passed High School Algebra and Geometry.) My knowledge of Social Studies, History and Government far outweighs my knowledge of Math, but I have found I don't really teach those subjects; I just present them with my knowledge and move along. I have found that when I teach Math, I actually slow down and make sure they grasp the concept of what they are doing and why. I provide more examples and follow up on how they are doing in Math, more than I do any other subject I teach. You would think with my big History brain, that my students would think that was best subject. After surveying my students, they feel they learn more in Math than anything else. Maybe it's because I once struggled as they are struggling now, and I empathize with them more?

Simple knowledge of a subject does not a great teacher make. It's the ability to truly teach a concept to full understanding that does. It's a lesson this teacher still needs to learn himself.

Blog 2 -- Will the Democrats make up their mind already?

It seems after the recent victory of Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania, that the Democrats are still having a hard time deciding who their presidential nominee will be. Barack Obama still leads in pledged delegates, but Hillary leads in the super delegate count. Sen. Clinton seems to win the bigger states (great for Electoral College votes), but Obama seems to win among the average Joe's. (which could also come into play in some of the smaller, yet still important, Electoral States). I just wish they would make up their minds already. They had better stop the in-fighting soon or the public may just get so fed up with them, they would rather vote for John McCain. After all he's about a Democrat as a Republican can get isn't he?

Way to Go Buckeyes, Way to Go!

It's not often that I want to or get a chance to brag on my old high school Alma Mater! Today I get the chance to do just that.

My old high school is Gilmer High School, home of the mighty Buckeyes! Gilmer ISD is one of only two schools in the nation with Buckeyes as their mascot; the other being Ohio State University. I honor our old school colors of orange and black by assigning these colors to today's blog. I graduated from Gilmer High School in 1985. I even got a job as a teacher there from 1998-2007, teaching grades 6-8, in the fine academic arts of World Social Studies, Texas History, and U.S. History- from Colonization to Reconstruction.

Today my old school made me proud. The Gilmer ISD School Board passed a measure that allows Gilmer High School to teach an elective Bible course as part of its curriculum. Wow! The students would have to pay a tuition to take the course and the course would be taught at night. The curriculum will focus on the literary and historical aspects of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.

What allowed Gilmer ISD to be able to add such a course to their curriculum? Apparently the Texas State Legislature deserves some credit... according to the linked article above..."The 80th Texas Legislature in 2007 passed House Bill 27, which allowed school districts to teach an elective class on the Old and New Testaments and their impact on history and literature. Another Wow!

Way to Go Buckeyes, Way to Go! -- Actually it should be, Way to God, Way to Go!