High school English & journalism teacher in year 22. Interested in authentic learning, intrinsic motivation, and student expression. Celtics fan. (he/him)

Joined December 2007
567 Photos and videos
Pinned Tweet
14 Nov 2024
Looks like I'm going to the sky, people. Hope to see you there, especially the good folks of #bfc530.
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College luddites reject "The Year of AI Exploration" With this beautiful hand-typed letter.
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5 Sep 2025
This is sadly true too much of the time.
Never forget that teachers don't get to choose the programs they use, the curriculum they follow, or how the students are grouped to receive intervention. We are often asked to "be creative" when the only effective solution is to change the program, or to rearrange groups, or to have additional staff support the children. Many teachers(experienced and new ones) get burned out because the system often asks them to do what is ineffective and sets them and their students up for failure.
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Peter Weller retweeted
Now that schools are going phone-free, we have to ask about the computers and tablets kids are given in schools. Do they help, or distract? We're starting a series on ed tech at AfterBabel.com. Jared Cooney Horvath says: They distract. afterbabel.com/p/the-edtech-…
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Peter Weller retweeted
Can we now finally start investing in civics education (not to mention the other social studies too) like we do STEM!?! It is seriously destroying our nation. npr.org/2022/03/29/108946775…
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8 Nov 2024
Anyone working in a school this week deserves appreciation and support. We saw some extreme behavior the day after the election. Particularly troublesome were the students who shouted "Trump won! White power!" as they walked by my wife's Black colleague in the hallway. #bfc530
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8 Nov 2024
We've done it, good people of #bfc530. Welcome to Friday. Peter, high school English teacher from Western Mass, who had a great time visiting The Pequot Museum yesterday with my students. It took about 6 hours to complete all the necessary paperwork, but it was worth it.
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7 Nov 2024
The best time to give feedback to students on an essay is during the composition process. I find informal check-ins where I scan a student's draft and offer one or two suggestions via a brief conversation go a long way toward improving the final product. #bfc530
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7 Nov 2024
Good morning and happy Thursday, #bfc530. Peter, high school English teacher from Western Mass, who today is going on a field trip with 41 high school sophomores to The Pequot Museum to learn about the history and culture of Native Americans in the northeast.
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6 Nov 2024
In English there are so many ways to bring in students' perspectives and interests to make the curriculum "real." For example, one doesn't need to look very far to find parallels between our society and Lord of the Flies. #bfc530
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6 Nov 2024
Well, we're halfway to the weekend, and that is something worth appreciating. Peter, high school English teacher from Western Mass, who yesterday had a mixed bag of PD which left teachers with no prep time. And of course today begins with a curriculum meeting. #bfc530
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Peter Weller retweeted
4 Nov 2024
When parents only ask about grades and goals, kids infer that achievement comes first. To signal that we value their well-being and character, we should also ask about happiness and kindness: -What made you feel joyful? Sad or worried? -Who did you help? Who helped you?
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4 Nov 2024
We need to change the model and create space for teachers to lead FROM the classroom. Who better than the people actually doing the work right now?
Dear colleges of higher education, I am BEGGING you to have Ed. D.'s that don't have the word 'leadership' in them. I want to be a better teacher...not get out of the classroom. Sincerely, Classroom teachers everywhere
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4 Nov 2024
I've been known to employ "how's it going?" with much regularity. #bfc530
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4 Nov 2024
Welcome to the first Monday of November, #bfc530. It's going to be a busy week, but thankfully a 3-day weekend awaits at the end, so let the journey begin. Peter, high school English teacher from Western Mass.
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Peter Weller retweeted
You can end the workday and come back the next morning and pick up where you left off in most jobs. You can't just show up and teach in the morning without spending time outside of work hours preparing for the day. This has been normalized as a profession, and it can't go on.
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1 Nov 2024
We had a tradition called Senior Dress Up Day where students wear Halloween costumes and walk in a parade around the school. It's a lot of fun. We'll do other things throughout the year as well to try and bring joy into the classroom. #bfc530
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1 Nov 2024
Good morning and happy Friday, #bfc530. We've made it. Peter, high school English teacher from Western Mass who celebrated a balmy Halloween and is now ready for November to usher in cooler weather and even some rain. This was one of the driest Octobers I can remember.
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31 Oct 2024
I dare say I do like them apples.
Cambridge Rindge & Latin School graduate (and actor) Matt Damon is YES on 2!
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30 Oct 2024
Conversations, low-stakes writing assignments, activities, quizzes, discussions, essays, partner and group work... lots of ways to understand the extent to which students are learning and where they need additional assistance. #bfc530
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