Teaching & Learning English
The Nerdy Gator Kid 
Tank was the tech genius of the sixth grade. He got his nickname not from being big, but from being in the Gator House—the green team for his school. His real name was reserved for the principal’s loudspeaker. The rest of the time, he was just Tank. His English teacher, the notoriously strict Dr. Terrett, … Read more
MY ELEVATOR ACCIDENT I press the button, Up it goes so slow. Watching numbers light up, From one to eleven they glow. First floor, second floor, Third and then the fourth. Heading to the eleventh, Traveling straight north. Fifth floor, sixth floor, Seventh, eighth, ninth, then ten. Will this elevator Ever reach me then? Finally … Read more
OK FIRST OF ALL I WILL TRY TO POST MEMES NOT SO OFTEN BUT I WILL KEEP POSTING STORIES DONT COMPLAIN PEOPLE
Mason, the leader of the 67 gang, is a hollow and terrifying figure who has completely lost his own personality. He is incapable of saying anything except the number “67,” using it as his only means of communication. He doesn’t lead through clever plans, but by being a pure symbol of his gang’s bitter jealousy. … Read more
The Real Lesson On the last day of school, Dr. Terrett called Steve and me to his desk. “You two,” he said with a knowing smile. “You’ve been unusually attentive all year. I don’t know what you did, but this has been the most remarkable year of my teaching career. Thank you.” He winked. We’ll … Read more
A New Normal Dr. Terrett stayed brilliant. His lessons were legendary throughout the school. He still played classical music, but Steve and I had destroyed the audio file. It seemed the changes were permanent. He was just a smarter, more creative version of himself now.
The Secret is Safe We brought the trophy back to a school-wide celebration. Dr. Terrett was a hero. Steve and I knew the truth, but we decided it was our secret to keep. We had helped him unlock the awesome teacher that was inside him all along. That’s what we told ourselves, anyway.
The State Championship The state finals were intense. The final question was about the subjunctive mood in a conditional clause. Our team was stumped. But from the audience, Dr. Terrett gave us a subtle signal – he winked and tapped his heart twice. We remembered his song: “If I were a rich man…” We shouted … Read more
A Close Call Before the state finals, Dr. Terrett seemed tired. “It’s strange,” he told the class. “I keep hearing a faint, epic soundtrack in my head. And I have this sudden urge to make everything a game.” Steve and I froze. We had to be more careful. The brainwashing was powerful stuff.
The National Grammar Bee Our school had never competed in the National Grammar Bee, but Dr. Terrett started an after-school club. He trained the team with crazy mnemonics and rap songs about predicate nominatives. Our team, “The Syntax Synapses,” made it to the state finals!
The Principal is Curious Principal Li popped in for a surprise observation. We held our breath. Instead of a boring lesson, Dr. Terrett had us reenacting a scene from a book using only emojis. The principal looked stunned, then broke into a huge smile. “Dr. Terrett, this is inspired!” she exclaimed.