Blog Review No2 Mr B-G's English

Ok now I'm getting into this Blogday caper and I have found a wonderful blog which is about my passion High School English teaching. Mr B-G's Blog is full of resources and enthusiasm for teaching and exploring web 2.0. These sites are like gold as so much of what we are doing in our classrooms id solitary and we don't get to see others ideas and inspirations.


He also has done these personality tests so being hopelessly addicted to widgets or any kind of thingy I can add to my page I have added mine.
I also like his bookshelf and the list of publishing and resource sites he has linked to. A recent post 'movie moaner' is an interesting exploration of his student management ideas. I wonder where his school is?hhe also has a terrific post about student physical comfort in class -something dear to my heart with the old B12 classroom armchairs, posters, plants ,flags etc I include his thoughts
Options: When students were working individually (reading or writing) or meeting in revision groups, they always had options for where to do that work. They could stay in their desks, or they could use the cushions, mats, or couch and could take the cushions and mats into the hallway to have more space and reduce noise.
Breaks: Most educators know that the brain needs pretty regular breaks in order to process the new information it’s gathering. I tried to stop every 15-20 minutes throughout our 85 minute periods to allow students to stretch, walk around, get a drink of water, etc.
Refreshments: I kept a water-cooler in my classroom that gave cold and hot water. Students were always welcome to get a cup of water or to make a cup of tea. I also kept a basket full of mints (helpful for group work). Students could bring in additional food or drink to share (we kept a small refrigerator, too.) I had a “Scooby fund” (a Scooby-Doo doll with a pocket in front) for students to contribute change to help cover the expenses. They policed the sharing themselves.
Environment: My classroom had no windows, so getting things to grow was difficult. I had two tough little plants that survived “the dungeon” and a few other fake ones. I also used a number of lamps so that I could turn off the glaring fluorescent lights. We put up posters and student artwork on the walls. I played music throughout the day when appropriate, and students could bring in their own selections.

What a positive attitude and I would love to read more of his thoughts.I will try and add a picture of my room at the moment because it is bursting with lovely displays and it is fun to go into it.The personality tests are found here if you want to do your own I'm not so sure about the Engineer bit- maybe I should do it again?