Category Archives: World War I

Abiding wonder of reaching out

Posted on September 24, 2016 by jyourist

Since retiring, I have been doing a little tutoring to help make ends meet. It has been interesting, surprising sometimes, to see how academic work assigned in a class gets translated through the eyes of a particular student. Having been … 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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Veterans Day

Posted on November 11, 2015 by jyourist

Today is Veterans Day, originally celebrated as Armistice Day, celebrating the end of World War I on the 11th day of the 11th month at 11am. I have often felt the conceit of the “elevens” strange and somewhat unsettling. The … Continue reading →

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Wrapped in the flag

Posted on July 4, 2015 by jyourist

New York, 1917. This is a photograph of the American soprano (sometimes referred to as a mezzo-soprano) Marcia Van Dresser (1877-1937), who participated in a variety of patriotic programs at the Metropolitan Opera, including the sales of War Bonds in support of … Continue reading →

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Trench Warfare

Posted on April 25, 2015 by jyourist

My middle school classroom is set up with big tables which makes a great space for projects and group work. When there’s a test, however, the students are often on top of each other. Most of my students would never … Continue reading →

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Under the spell of All Quiet

Posted on April 6, 2015 by jyourist

We are presently reading All Quiet on the Western Front. A student shared with me that he and some of his friends have adopted some of the characters in the book, have become one of the characters in their group … Continue reading →

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The peculiar aesthetics of the three elevens

Posted on November 11, 2014 by jyourist

Today is Veterans Day, the day which originally commemorated the Armistice of World War I. On this day, the eleventh day of the eleventh month (1918) at precisely 11:00am (French time) hostilities ceased. In fact, soldiers were still being attacked, wounded, … Continue reading →

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Off the to-do list

Posted on August 1, 2014 by jyourist

Over the past few years, a colleague of mine has often mentioned Cantigny Park. It is a 500 acre park in Wheaton IL formerly the residence of Col. Robert McCormick, the Chicago Tribune owner and publisher. He became a colonel … Continue reading →

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Powerful closures

Posted on April 28, 2014 by jyourist

The students presented their creative projects for All Quiet on the Western Front today. There was the annual absurdly funny video of the book by a few of the boys, a collection of poems about the war from all the countries involved … Continue reading →

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“Little Song of the Mutilated”

Posted on April 9, 2014 by jyourist

Tonight was the 18th annual French recital where the 8th grade students recited French poems, acted out scenes in French, and performed the music of French composers. The ambiance of the room was very cafe-like (flowers and candles on the … Continue reading →

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