Category Archives: Teacher Writing

Emergency’s Over: Time to Move On

The bubonic plague killed one-third of Europe’s 75 million people in the mid-fourteenth century. Yet, revolutionary technologies starting with the printing press soon emerged from the continent, propelling humanity forward for centuries. In the past year, COVID-19 has killed 540,000 people in the United States, 0.1 percent of the population. If Europe (where 1 in … Continue reading Emergency’s Over: Time to Move On

Bio-Poem: Mr. Jockers

Ryan Patient, honest, industrious, dependable Son of Thomas and Linda, brother of Erin Lover of life, family, and the changing of New England seasons Who feels thankful at the start and end of every day, comfortable in his own skin, and blessed to be doing what he loves to do Who finds happiness in his … Continue reading Bio-Poem: Mr. Jockers

How’s Distance Learning Going? Good, I Guess

The first week of Distance Learning has ended. People ask: How’s it going? It is hard to say. “Good, I guess,” is my default response. “Good” because it has not been “bad.” A “bad” week would have been terribly stressful and confusing and fearful; I have felt none of that. But the guesswork involved in … Continue reading How’s Distance Learning Going? Good, I Guess

FFFW#3: Mr. Jockers

Prompt: Write a story called “The Day the Internet Died” Pattern: Simple (with an adjective or noun phrase), Compound-Complex What would life be like without the Internet, the technological web that has for better or worse connected nearly everyone worldwide? Because I lived about 20 years without it, it’s easy for me to imagine, for … Continue reading FFFW#3: Mr. Jockers

Letter-Essay #1 (Teacher Model): The Little Prince

Recently, I finished reading The Little Prince, an 83-page fantasy book by a Frenchman named Antoine de Saint-Exupery, who piloted planes during the Second World War and who disappeared in 1944, a year after The Little Prince was published. The Little Prince is one of the most famous books ever. It has sold more than … Continue reading Letter-Essay #1 (Teacher Model): The Little Prince

Factory Frogs

It was a cold and wet November day when a family friend who was also a doctor told Tyler Burbank he had about one year left to live. He was twelve. He’d most likely die before doing the things kids his age fantasize about doing once they are full-on teenagers; the disease in his blood … Continue reading Factory Frogs

Mr. Jockers’s Reading Goal

My “reading goal” is to read at least 40 books this year. I’m challenging my students to do that so I should be able to do it as well. It’s going to take a bit of effort, though, since last year I read 28 books, falling two short of the goal I set for my … Continue reading Mr. Jockers’s Reading Goal

Our New Look: Gar-funk-i-fied

So, it may seem odd that immediately following an assignment designed to help you become familiar with the layout of the blog that I completely change the layout. You’re right: that is odd. But there is a reason. Although I liked the look of the previous “theme” (which, by the way, was called “Hemingway” and … Continue reading Our New Look: Gar-funk-i-fied

Sarah, Where Are You From?

I’m from the endless summer nights. Hanging out with my crazy/weird friends, laughing and having a great time. I’m from the days of hanging out with my cousins at my mom’s childhood lake, playing king of the dock and grilling hot dogs and playing very competitive games of SPUD and the countless times I have … Continue reading Sarah, Where Are You From?

Mr. Jockers, Where Are You From?

I’m from starting each day reading and drinking black coffee and if I’m using the French press because it makes better coffee (but takes longer to make) and the coffee isn’t made by the time my wife wakes up there’s likely to be trouble. “Can’t you just use the coffeemaker,” she’ll say. Yes, but . … Continue reading Mr. Jockers, Where Are You From?

Raising Helen’s Big Gig

At the end of last year, Mr. Sather hosted an end-of-year party for the HKMS staff. In his email announcing the party, he said, half-jokingly, that a group of teachers would be providing live music under the name “Raising Helen.” That group included Mr. Macaluso, Mr. Dolecki, Mr. Sather, Mrs. Newman and myself. We had … Continue reading Raising Helen’s Big Gig