Category Archives: students

Misochronism and 8th grade graduation

Posted on June 8, 2016 by jyourist

The end of the school year is enormously busy. And if one is retiring, activities are even further ramped up— including this year being asked by the student body to deliver the faculty address at 8th grade graduation. It is … Continue reading →

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Annotating To Kill a Mockingbird

Posted on May 26, 2016 by jyourist

My student’s amazing graphic annotation of To Kill a Mockingbird.

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Outside together in the sun

Posted on May 21, 2016 by jyourist

Yesterday my friend Michael came to my school. Because my advisory had raised money ($500.00) for the La Casa Norte fundraiser (see earlier post), he thought he would say “thank-you” by screening the film Alzheimers: A Love Story at school. … Continue reading →

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Teachers on a four day trip to Washington DC with 130 8th graders

Posted on May 7, 2016 by jyourist

The photo above is what teachers indulge in when they are on a four day trip with 130 high energy and healthy 8th graders in Washington DC and they can’t have a drink. The photos below are some of what … Continue reading →

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Some middle school students’ answers on their World War I test

Posted on April 29, 2016 by jyourist
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Wordless three-ring circus

Posted on April 28, 2016 by jyourist

I do a lot of group work in my classroom so instead of desks we have a variety of large tables, four of them to be exact. There are lots of ways we arrange them depending on what we are … Continue reading →

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Ninja

Posted on April 10, 2016 by jyourist

Whenever I give students a break during class or sometimes even before class begins, a group of kids, mostly boys, play a game they call Ninja. They stand in a circle or a loose circular clump and strike a stationary … Continue reading →

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Seventeen Reasons Why Football Is Better Than High School

Posted on April 4, 2016 by jyourist

Because I will be retiring in June, I am going through boxes of files, dispersing some, recycling the rest. My goal is to leave my job on the very last day with no more than a shoebox. No schlepping of … Continue reading →

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Lockdown. Lockdown. Lockdown.

Posted on March 30, 2016 by jyourist

Today as I was walking down the arts wing of my school, a lockdown drill was announced over the PA system. “This is a drill. This is a lockdown. Lockdown. Lockdown.” About a month ago we had a lockdown drill, … Continue reading →

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Divine Guidance

Posted on March 11, 2016 by jyourist

Yesterday in class, the students made presentations to the rest of us in preparation for our Chicago History Fair that evening. After each student shared their research, the rest of us would fill out a sheet which would give responses … Continue reading →

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