A Must-Read New Blog: Sean’s “Slam Teaching”

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A Must-Read New Blog: Sean’s “Slam Teaching”

I’m back from the Apple Distinguished Educator Asia Institute, but that can wait. This is more exciting.

I don’t know Sean, the writer behind Slam Teaching, one whit. I hope that changes soon. His blog has only two posts on it, but it’s refreshingly absent the tools-obsession and buzzwords (though he does teach online, apparently - so it’s not like he couldn’t echo about these if he chose).

Instead, Sean writes about teaching and education from the bone, as something closer to what we might call a “spiritual” practice. But instead of paraphrasing, his “What is Slam Teaching?” sidebar text says it better than I could, so here it is:

What is Slam Teaching?

The idea behind Slam Teaching is not unlike the idea behind slam poetry. Teaching, this blog posits, is an extemporaneous, aggressive, lyric, funny thing to do. It’s a way of expressing oneself; it is art, and it is unpredictable. This blog will work (slowly, progressively) toward a better understanding of teaching as this dynamic force - an animated performance rather than a set of skills that react with criteria for learning.

If any of you rubric junkies are cringing out there, I hope that’s a good thing. (Rubrics make me cringe quite frequently, though they often seem a necessary evil.)

Check him out. Pump him up. We need more blogs like his.

If you like this post, please spread it: (But don't tag it "education." That will bury it.)

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Written by Clay Burell

December 5th, 2007 at 11:06 pm

Posted in blogging, creativity, language arts, professional development, school reform, teaching, writing

4 Responses to 'A Must-Read New Blog: Sean’s “Slam Teaching”'

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I don’t know about “aggressive” but with no curriculum (or budget!), my Current Events class is frequently “extemporaneous” and “unpredictable”.

I do sometimes feel like I’m performing, but, hey - it keeps the boys awake.

Heading over to Slam Teaching to check this kid out.

Thanks for the tip, Clay.

[Reply]

diane

6 Dec 07 at 9:40 am
Clay,
Thank you for your very kind enthusiasm for my little project. I hope you and everyone continue to enjoy what I put up there. Should be fun!
Best,
Sean

[Reply]

Sean

6 Dec 07 at 2:05 pm
Sean, no thanks necessary. See you in my Bloglines.

[Reply]

Clay Burell

6 Dec 07 at 2:08 pm
[...] last December, I posted my excitement about Sean Law’s new blog, Slam Teaching. Three weeks later, after many rounds of commenting on each others’ posts, we somehow went [...]

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