A year ago tonight, Charming was born.  In the annals of my blog, I dubbed him a prince after our first face-to-face meeting in more than a decade.  My sophomores are studying archetypes again, like the week before that post, again fixating on the function of setting, conflict, and plot in revealing a theme.  I … Continue reading Real Quests and Heroes

The rain is heavy, steady, rhythmic around me.  After reviewing the elements of a short story with my sophomores today, I know the role weather conditions play in establishing setting; that setting will influence the tone and the plot development; that when the conflict emerging in that setting with that tone is resolved, a theme … Continue reading On a Dark and Stormy Night…

Darling Stadium a few blocks off is dark and silent tonight, unlike Friday when the Kecoughtan Warriors defeated Denbigh as a promising kick-off for the Class of 2017.  The loudspeakers let me enjoy the pre-game festivities from the white wicker love seat on my front porch.  When my kids are playing, I walk over during … Continue reading What’s the End Game?

I have Pokémon Go on the mind tonight.  That and the fresh batch of students who sat in my new rolling chairs at tables scattered throughout my classroom.  Not surprising from the woman who bought a bottle of perfume simply because it was called Poetic Rebel, but I find both topics equally inspiring as I … Continue reading A Lure in English Class