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It's essay submission day. That magical time when students proudly turn in their work, hoping for an A, or at the very least, for me not to notice that their original thoughts sound suspiciously like a college professor wrote them. Let me be clear: I love a well-written essay. I live for a strong thesis, clear reasoning, and textual evidence that actually supports the argument....

This Essay is Amazing It’s essay submission day. That magical time when students proudly turn in their work, hoping for an A, or at the very least, for me not to notice that their original thoughts sound suspiciou…

Every school has them. Every school takes steps to stop them, but they always come back. You guessed it—The Hallway Dwellers. They are always out. Always walking and always existing in a space where no student should exist for that much of the day. You turn the corner, and there they are. You walk to the office and think, "Didn't I just see you in the hall?"...

The Hallway Dwellers: An Army of Clones? Every school has them. Every school takes steps to stop them, but they always come back. You guessed it—The Hallway Dwellers. They are always out. Always walking and always existing in a space wher…

This morning, while doing my hallway duty with a coffee in hand and clearing the cobwebs out of my brain, I overheard a conversation that, at first, made me chuckle, then shake my head in dismay. A student told someone, very sincerely, that he would not be in school tomorrow and would miss at least one day next week. Was he sick?...

Prime Delivery vs. Prime Education This morning, while doing my hallway duty with a coffee in hand and clearing the cobwebs out of my brain, I overheard a conversation that, at first, made me chuckle, then shake my head in dismay. A…

As a tenth-grade English teacher, one of the novels I enjoy teaching every year is Fahrenheit 451. The novel's protagonist, Guy Montag, lives in a society that attempts to eliminate all sources of complexity, contradiction, and confusion in an attempt to ensure uncomplicated happiness for all its citizens. Ray Bradbury's masterpiece is a dark prophecy about a society so consumed by technology that literature is deemed obsolete and critical thought is a relic of the past....

Teaching Fahrenheit 451 in 2025: Oh, the Irony! As a tenth-grade English teacher, one of the novels I enjoy teaching every year is Fahrenheit 451. The novel’s protagonist, Guy Montag, lives in a society that attempts to eliminate all sourc…