It must be springtime in the Rockies. State lawmakers have emerged from hibernation, but Colorado’s bank accounts remain in a deep freeze.
Once again, not just my state’s, but many states’, communities are faced with difficult budget choices because the flow of money from the federal and state governments has hit the mother of all icebergs, the one that apparently proves …
Categories
Keywords
acting broadband career change changing careers China Chinese dean gallagher economy education educational reform engaging students inspiring teachers internet job search journalism laoshi learning theory lesson plans Lev Vygotsky mat@usc commencement mat@usc courses mat@usc graduate math news articles older student second career online classroom rossier rossier dean gallagher school funding socio-cultural socio-culturalism Student Life teacher compensation teacher performance teacher preparation teachers as heroes teaching experiences teaching jobs teaching overseas tenure trojan family magazine urban schools usc Vygotsky webinarBloggers
Archives
Melissa Pomponio
Greetings from a mile high in Colorado! My name is Mel and I’m enrolled in the MAT@USC program with the goal of becoming a high school English teacher. I am a native of the rural township of Brimfield, Ohio, where most of my family still lives. I received my undergraduate degree in journalism and English from Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, and, upon graduation, became a reporter for my hometown newspaper in Kent. Looking for a little adventure in my life, I moved west to Cheyenne, Wyoming, where I worked at the newspaper there and met and married my husband of 14 years (we have a son, K.C, 12, and a daughter, Ava, 6). I also made a brief stop at the newspaper in Loveland, Colorado, before taking a presentation editor position at the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, Colorado. The Rocky fell victim to a poor economy and the downturn in newspaper readership and ceased publication on Feb. 27, 2009. As unemployed journalists are a dime a dozen these days, I chose to pursue something I’m equally passionate about : teaching.
Posts by Melissa Pomponio
It’s time to spring into action
No room for bias
Last week the dedicated MAT@USC team asked me to write about a difficult situation I’ve had to overcome and how that would make me a better teacher. It seems like cheating to say, “Gee, last week was a difficult situation,” despite burning the wee-hour oils more than a few nights last week planning to teach my very first lesson (!), …
The obvious, and not so obvious, heroes
At the end of every school year, my children always make a little craft for their teachers — just a little something to remember them by (as if anyone could forget my rambunctious son!). Last year, however, my son entered the 6th grade and had many teachers, too many to whip out a craft for each one. That, and apparently …
I am cardinal and gold
On a warm September 28, armed with my computer, headphones, notebook, and a pen, I created a little office out on the deck, shaded by the patio umbrella and surrounded by the bees buzzing, the birds chirping, and the smell of blooming mums in the garden I should have taken better care of over the summer. I clicked on the …
