A Must See!

Studying the American Civil War this year has been even more fun than usual because of increased publicity surrounding the 150th anniversary of the war.

I practically jumped off the couch last night when I saw this trailer for an upcoming documentary to be aired on Memorial Day on the History Channel. Executive producers Ridley and Tony Scott describe the film as an information-packed documentary, looking at the turning points, strategic decisions, technology, and little-known facts surrounding the battle. It was developed in collaboration with Civil War historians and reflects on hundreds of individual accounts of the battle.

Feelin' some pride!

As a teacher, particular things occur throughout the year that make you proud. Those events stay with you forever, and make every bad day worth the frustration. Today, on the most unlikely of days--one of those such events occurred, and I was reminded of another from the past.

Currently, the state MSP tests are being administered at Mill Creek. My 90 students took the first of the two writing tests today. As any of my former students would know, I have some pretty high expectations when it comes to taking your time and putting forth a heck of an effort on this test. Students today didn't disappoint, as 15 of them were still in my room taking the test after the bell to go home rang--that is 6 1/2 hours of writing. The other 70 worked throughout the day, understanding the importance to putting out their best effort. My students made me proud today. I won't forget this day for that reason. While I know it wasn't fun day for them, it was a honor to see them work so hard.

Then, to top it off, I received an email tonight from a colleague containing a link to a blog by a former student. In it, she reflected on her experiences in the KTA, and on a yearlong project her class orchestrated during the 2006-2007 school year:

Especially in 7th grade, everyone knew what was basically going in each other lives, and our teachers were like part of our family. We made so many special memories together, and I'm talking about everyone! No one was hesitant to talk to each other, and we had this mutual care for one another. Together as a whole KTA, we also made websites and got together to help saves lives in Africa from Malaria by donating/selling mosquito nets, and make a difference around the world with our technology. This was a year long on-going project, and it was called Nothing But Nets. We made podcasts, and put pieces of writing, blogs, games, and etc. all made by our own students, put onto our very own website.

Thanks, guys. For today...and back in the day!