2019 - Porter Has Class

Student Response to The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

Post published:October 20, 2019
Post category:Student Work

Writing Task You have read the short story “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” by Mark Twain. A story about a man named Jim Smiley who was swindled into losing a bet involving his trained frog. In an essay, explain how the difference in points of view between the audience and Jim Smiley creates humor for the reader. Be sure to use specific evidence to support your response. Student Response "May be you understand frogs, and may be you don't understand 'em; may be you've had experience, and may be you an't only a amature, as it were. Anyways,…

Student Response to The Tell-Tale Heart

Post published:October 14, 2019
Post category:Student Work

Writing Task You have read the short story “Tell-Tale Heart.” Write an essay describing a characteristic of the main character and how it propels the action to the conclusion of the story. Be sure to use specific evidence to support your response. Student Response “You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing.” These are the thoughts of the unnamed narrator from Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “Tell-Tale Heart.” The narrator spends much of the story trying to convince the audience that he is not crazy while he ironically explains a murder he has committed. As the story ends, the narrator shouts…

What We Do When We Fail

Post published:October 13, 2019
Post category:Blog Student Work

What we do when we fail is completely different from person to person. Some quit. Some continue doing the same thing. Others try to learn and get better. While my blog has not felt like a failure, it certainly has not met my expectations. So, I'm trying new things. “You never know what you can do until you try, and very few try unless they have to.” – C.S. Lewis So, What's Coming? In the coming weeks, I will be posting examples of student writing. Why would I do this? Kelly Gallagher, as well as many other notable educators, advocate using…

Where Have You Been?

Post published:September 1, 2019
Post category:Blog

“Where have you been, young man?” A phrase many of us fellas have probably heard in a lifetime. I have not posted in quite a while for various reasons (any of which I’m not sure is a good reason). If you have followed my blog, then you know that I haven’t posted since slightly before the end of the last school year. Things got busy as they often do with teachers at the close of a school year. In fact, it was so hectic that I actually thought I had already posted on my blog the good news, but as…