Poetry Friday: Haunted Houses

Mamacita says:    I first encountered this poem when I was in the third grade in my favorite teen girl detective series – Judy Bolton, of course! (Nancy Drew is but a pale substitute. . . .)   After the Bolton … Continue reading

Quotation Saturday: Randominities

Mamacita says:  Some people don’t like quotations. “They’re not original!” or some such, blahblahblah. I like a good quotation. They make me more original.   A good quotation is a thought made sharable. I’ve been collecting quotations since I was in … Continue reading

How am I doing in here? What’s my grade?

Mamacita says:  There will always be students who have no idea of their standing in a class; honestly, when a student says to me, “How am I doing in this class? What’s my average?” I want to scream. Even if … Continue reading

How Anne Frank Helped Me Score Free Classroom Novels

Mamacita says:  Every year, for over twenty years, I taught a unit based on The Diary of Anne Frank.  This title refers to the stage play; Anne’s actual diary is titled Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl.  Please don’t … Continue reading

Those Who Burn Books Will, in the End, Burn People.*

Mamacita says:  Banned Books Week is coming up this month – Sept. 30 – Oct. 6, 2012.  It always saddens me to be reminded that there are such huge hordes of ignorant masses in the United States, and yet, sigh, … Continue reading

I Love Little Pussy

Mamacita says:  People with tiny, limited vocabularies scare me. I am positive that these are the people who melt down in public and starting stabbing everyone within reach. It’s a fact that the person who throws the first punch generally … Continue reading