Month: August 2019

Education, Teaching1 Comment

If You’re a Teacher Who’s Not on Twitter…You’re Fine, Actually

Jason Simon

I use Twitter. It’s great. I post links the short stories I write and retweet ideas about teaching or media or literature that I think are interesting. I also share things I’m doing in class in case other teachers might want to discuss them. I’ll even link this blog post to Twitter, and approximately two of my followers will like it. That’s right: I have followers, and at least two of them have been known to validate me on occasion. Twitter’s a good way of networking and getting to know other teachers out there in the world working hard and … Continue reading If You’re a Teacher Who’s Not on Twitter…You’re Fine, Actually

DP Lang & Lit, Education, MYP Lang & Lit, TeachingLeave a comment

Can’t the Students Just Choose Their Own Novels?

Jason Simon

On Twitter a few months ago, a teacher I know shared that he wished his kids had more say over what they were assigned to read in their high school English courses. More specifically, he retweeted another teacher advocating for student choice of texts to illustrate the point about his children’s disappointingly prescriptive high school experience. The original tweet was one of those idealistic, inspirational missives about letting go of tired, restrictive pedagogy and embracing the future. The implication of that original tweet was clear: there are bold, innovative teachers who allow students to choose their own books to study … Continue reading Can’t the Students Just Choose Their Own Novels?