“Secondhand Lions” and “The Secret Lion”

“Secondhand Lions” and “The Secret Lion”

Mar 3, 2020 | E9 Honors, English 9

“The Secret Lion” Author Alberto Álvaro Ríos tells this wonderfully conversational coming of age tale that is somewhat autobiographical. Ríos is an educator and an author, too, and still actively involved in the academic community. Check out his Web page: • Alberto...
“Secondhand Lions” and “The Secret Lion”

“The Man in the Moon”

Feb 20, 2020 | E9 Honors

As a film instructor, I’m often asked what my favorite films are. Frankly, I don’t have a favorite, but I do have a pretty short list of movies that I consider to be important contributions to the art form, and in some cases nearly flawless. “The Man in the Moon” is...
“The Door”

“The Door”

Oct 21, 2019 | English 9, Film Analysis

THE DOOR - Short Film from Octagon Films on Vimeo.added by Louise Curran Producer The Door “The Door” This film, by Juanita Wilson, is a powerful tribute to one family’s tragic experience following the Chernobyl nuclear accident that occurred in 1986 in what was...
On the Line (Auf der Strecke)

On the Line (Auf der Strecke)

Oct 20, 2019 | English 9, Film Analysis

This Swiss film is such a great example of how effective a short film can be. In fact, it was nominated for an Oscar in 2009 in the live-action short film category. SUPPLEMENTAL: Here’s a link to a brief synopsis of the film. Trailer Auf der Strecke (On the...
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. short stories

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. short stories

Sep 25, 2019 | E9 Honors

We’ll read “The Lie” and “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. And we’ll also watch “Examination Day” – an episode of “The Twilight Zone” – and “2081” – an adaptation of “Harrison Bergeron.”

A word about Skyward

A word about Skyward

Sep 4, 2019 | E9 Honors, Film Analysis

Okay, okay. I’ll admit it: As a teacher, I despise Skynet… er, ah, Skyward. However, as a parent of an MTHS student, I love Skyward Family Access.
So, I understand that I’m trying to have it both ways when it comes to this wonderful, horrible Web tool. Of course I want to know how my son is doing in his classes, but I don’t want to be enslaved to updating Skyward on a daily basis for my students.
But, it’s more complicated than that. Let me explain…

Parent/Guardian access to our classes

Parent/Guardian access to our classes

Sep 3, 2019 | E9 Honors, English 9, Film Analysis

Accessing Student Online Systems at MTHS for Parents/Guardians Thanks to our former tech guru Christy Frary, here are the directions for you to follow if you want to observe your student’s work in any of my classes. It’s great and can really come in handy!...
Richard Kelly’s dark(o) debut

Richard Kelly’s dark(o) debut

Jun 14, 2019 | Film Analysis

“Donnie Darko” I’ve seen this film at least two dozen times and I still find new things to examine, question and ponder. Shoot, I still stumble and mumble whenever anyone asks me, “What’s ‘Donnie Darko’ about?” Frankly, I’m really not 100 percent sure. So, when I...
Found Poetry

Found Poetry

Jun 10, 2019 | E9 Honors, English 9

Found poetry can be as profound as original, traditional poetry. The difference? The words are found in existing texts, then edited and arranged in new, poetic ways by the poet. Confused? No worries. Read this excerpt from Poets.org: Found poems take existing texts...