Teacher Reflections: Halloween reminds me of Romeo and Juliet

Ahh...'Tis the season to be scary.  I think it is fair to say that when most people think of Halloween, they think of costumes, candy, and scary things.  Me on the other hand... I think of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.  Not only do I think of Romeo and Juliet because they see each other for the first time at a costume party...very fitting for the season.  During my first year of teaching we received our curriculum and were horrified to find that Shakespeare was in the second unit which ended, conveniently, at the end of October.

Teacher Reflection: Vladimir Lenin Reminds Me of the Book Animal Farm

I was browsing online and saw a headline that Russians voted to bury Vladimir Lenin 87 years after his death.  Now most people would probably find this fascinating (or be totally grossed out), but I became rather nostalgic because Vladimir Lenin reminds me of our (Ms. Storti and I) Animal Farm unit.

Most people read Animal Farm in school and most teachers have the book in their curriculum and it is mandatory to read.  However, I really really dislike the book for teaching purposes.  I taught ninth grade and the kids really really didn't get it.  They loved the history lesson and somehow felt as if they were getting a break from class.  But did they really learn anything?  And are these types of books still so relevant that they are required in the curriculum.  Is the lesson that good?  I don't think so.