“I can stop talking about teaching whenever I want to,” claims educator-writer Emmet Rosenfeld, who spends much of his time—you guessed it—thinking and talking about teaching. A former English teacher at the renowned Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va., Rosenfeld transitioned to a position as English teacher and Dean of Students at the Congressional Schools of Virginia in Falls Church, Va. He wrote this wide-ranging opinion blog on teaching and learning in his classroom and beyond. This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: teaching & learning.
Education
Opinion
Lull Before the Storm
The fan is whirring in my trailer, the grit of chocolate-covered espresso beans coats my teeth, and our sort of new puppy, Bee, rests at my feet.
Education
Opinion
Jazzed about 2.0
I got a perky email from Emily, a colleague who just finished the NVWP summer institute and felt jazzed about a presentation on tech-infused 21st century teaching by Teacher/Consultant Eric Hoeffler.
Education
Opinion
Emmet's Eleven
My three-week course with ten accomplished women is done, and there is a 696-sized hole in my life. I’m not sure when I will next be able to carve three hours per morning out of my life to write hard and workshop with motivated colleagues.
Education
Opinion
Voices from the Classroom
Week one of “Voices from the Classroom” centered on writing for ourselves as teacher-researchers and observers of our own classrooms. We formed groups based on the type of end product we intend to produce, wrote daily, and workshopped. I always ask myself, when I teach, if the most important thing is at the heart of the class. So far, yes.
Education
Opinion
Embarking
I’m starting to teach a new course this week, and feel both excited and nervous. For starters, I’m not quite sure what to call it. Fairfax County, offering it as an “Academy” course (our name for professional development), calls it “7497- Research in Writing and Learning.” George Mason, offering it via the Northern Virginia Writing Project as a 3-credit graduate course, calls it “English/Education 696.”
Education
Opinion
A Boat with Legs
Readers of “Certifiable?”, last year’s blog chronicling my try for National Board Certification, will remember the dugout canoe my 10th grade Humanities students made along with the help of the Alexandria Seaport Foundation. Highlights included learning about primitive technology from a man clad in buckskins, building 3D models of Western- and Native American-authored novels to compare the authors’ worldviews, and camping out at historic Mount Vernon for an overnight burn-and-scrape party.
Education
Opinion
2:27 A.M.
My name is Emmet and I’m an eduholic.
The last time I woke up in the middle of the night to write about education , I was in the throes of scaling Mount Nbpts. Now I’m out of thin air, it’s the weekend before the last day of the school year... and I’m at it again.
The last time I woke up in the middle of the night to write about education , I was in the throes of scaling Mount Nbpts. Now I’m out of thin air, it’s the weekend before the last day of the school year... and I’m at it again.