Mister Porter - Porter Has Class

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…

Hey, Watch That Attitude!: Teaching with Attitude

Post published:March 7, 2019
Post category:Blog

Teaching is not all about test scores. A student is not a score. I was fortunate enough to be in a faculty meeting today that was not focused on test scores. It was about relationships and culture. How do we build a better culture in our school? Attitude Adjustment One of the things I thought about after the meeting was attitude. What should our attitude be as we come to work each day? As we see students walking down the hallway? In our classrooms? To answer this question I have to give a little background. Story Background This is my…

What Few Teachers Will Say

Post published:March 3, 2019
Post category:Blog

For those that have followed my blog since the beginning you may have noticed some trends. One of them being my priority on building relationships with students. I firmly believe it is The Most Important Thing in Education. What few teachers will say, though, is that its two-sided. I hope I make an impact on my students; however, my students have effects on me. My Reminder This morning, I was reminded of this fact. One of my former students walked to the stage of a very large church to sing. She did not quiver. She did not show fear. She…