Author Archives: Samuel Snoek-Brown

Why Experts Are Not the Best Teachers (via Worst Professor Ever)

I’m not entirely sure what to make of this. On the one hand, I take issue with the author’s assertion that “knowing something at the PhD level benefits very few of your fellow citizens.” And the final comment, about “amateurs” being “cheaper to hire,” really gets under my skin, because one of my personal missionsContinue reading “Why Experts Are Not the Best Teachers (via Worst Professor Ever)”

Reading and writing: a beginning, and no end in sight!

Just wanted to quickly share two blog posts, which by happy accident I happened to read almost back to back today. The first is from Odds ‘N Ends (aka Mary’s Little Blog), in which a mother recounts helping her son learn to read and write. More importantly, the post focuses on the first time herContinue reading “Reading and writing: a beginning, and no end in sight!”

A Writer’s Notebook: found objects

This week is a little random, but I’ll explain why below. When I lived in the States, I used to get a lot of junk mail.  I got more junk than mail, actually, and I’m not including my bills in that.  Brochures for apartments and trailer homes, ads for banks and groceries and shoe storesContinue reading “A Writer’s Notebook: found objects”

Student revenge: assign a teacher homework!

This April, when I return to the States and visit my family in Texas, I also am going to attend the huge conference of the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association, held this year in San Antonio. I’m reading fiction there, and I’m planning to reconnect with a bunch of scholars and colleagues I used toContinue reading “Student revenge: assign a teacher homework!”

American History WI

This is for all my friends and former colleagues in Wisconsin, who are making American history as we speak. America’s children will study these weeks in their US history and US government classes. These people in the streets these past few weeks — my friends — are our heroes, and our future generations will celebrateContinue reading “American History WI”

New fiction from Lori Ann Bloomfield

Lori Ann Bloomfield, of First Line blog fame and author of The Last River Child, has a new short story available online. Check out “Thank You Elvis” (that’s right — Elvis!) in the current issue of Lies with Occasional Truths magazine.

“Hubris” -the likely downfall of Gov. Walker? (via Teacher Reality)

For anyone still confused about what’s really happening in Wisconsin, this is an excellent, real-life summary of what’s at stake. Not politics, not ideologies. Just the real situation of so many real people and what they stand to lose if Walker’s bill passes. Please read it and share it. Marc Sears. a former public schoolContinue reading ““Hubris” -the likely downfall of Gov. Walker? (via Teacher Reality)”

A Writer’s Notebook: First-line found story (revision)

This is a partial revision of the “found story” I began in last week’s notebook.  And below that, I’ll write a bit about the revision process. No one was going to believe her, but the dog would not stop barking. That was how Margot put it, a metaphor she’d adopted like a slogan, the dogContinue reading “A Writer’s Notebook: First-line found story (revision)”