2019 - Porter Has Class

The Secret Lives of Teachers: Part III

Post published:April 7, 2019
Post category:Blog

It’s April. We are near the end of the school year. Kids have spring fever and teachers have less hair with standardized testing bearing down on them. And, that’s just what is going on at school. If you’ve been following this series, you know there is more than that going on in teacher’s lives. My Secret Life The Secret Lives of Teachers: Part I explains the beginning of my and my wife’s infertility discovery and The Secret Lives of Teachers: Part II gives the beginning details of our process through in-vitro fertilization (IVF). If you haven’t already, I ask that…

Caught with Pants Down: Where’s the TP?

Post published:March 31, 2019
Post category:Stories

Every good classroom management plan has procedures for going to the restroom. There is no ONE answer. Whatever the procedure, it has to work for your classroom, school, and teaching personality. With all of that being said, sometimes you just have to “wing it.” A former colleague sent this funny story for each of you to enjoy. Little Susie raised her hand and asked if she could go to restroom,that “it was an emergency.” If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that. My former colleague uses bathroom passes in her classroom management procedures. She informed the student…

March Madness with Short Stories

Post published:March 24, 2019
Post category:Lesson Plans

I love basketball. All types of basketball. I especially love March Madness. I have fond memories of this time of year watching great basketball and rewatching great March Madness moments. Because of this passion, I wanted to incorporate it into my classroom. Students are not always excited about school, in fact, it’s rare for them to be excited about school these days. But if students feel YOUR passion, they are more likely to be engaged in their work. So, I decided I wanted to make a tournament of my own. I chose eight short stories for my eighth graders to…

Politics: Last Place, Best Place

Post published:March 15, 2019
Post category:Blog

Politicians enjoy last place. Think I’m wrong? When influential Americans go to other less fortunate countries, what do they tell them to do? Invest in your future. Educate your people. Are politicians following this advice? That’s an emphatic, NO! The Pew Research Center reported the United States actually ranked 38th in educational performance. Are we investing in our future? A CBS News report stated, “12 states that made especially deep cuts after the Great Recession haven’t yet restored school funding.” On top of that, that same report said, “Teachers are earning less in 42 states than they did a decade…