Articles written by Nathan Munro

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Education > Teachers & Administrators Are we giving students too much power over teachers?: 1 of 10
There is a small town in Connecticut where it is so tough to get a teaching job the school board actually auditions teachers in front of classes. The students rate the teacher for effectiveness and likeability. These "grades" are used to determine who gets hired or promoted. Instances like these are rare. Connecticut pays its... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Baseball Debating whether Mark McGwire should be in the baseball Hall of Fame: 2 of 19
As a life long Cardinal fan it was tough to watch Big Mack get choked when he refused to answer questions asked by a Congressional inquiry about his involvement with steroids. It was embarrassing, as being moved to tears in public often is. But it made me think of another time I saw him nearly get blubbery during a press conf... More..
Creative Writing > Humor Humor: Teachers: 2 of 17
I work with the "struggling" reading group, and I wouldn't have it any other way. These kids are the misunderstood geniuses. As reluctant contributors, I suspect that they have all the answers but just don't care to share them. And while they struggle to read, they always find it easy to laugh at a good joke.We were working o... More..
Home & Garden > Landscaping Using stones in landscaping: Are man-made or natural stones better?: 2 of 11
This was a tough debate to weigh in on. I love working with all kinds of stone in my garden. But let's get one thing straight right away. There is no place in a carefully crafted garden for cheap manufactured stone blocks like the ones you find at giant home improvement stores. The only advantage of these stones is that they ... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Parenthood Dads: To stay at home or not to stay at home: 6 of 15
Talk about a bad day. It was almost exactly a year ago that I was hit by two bombs of bad news on the same day, that my father had passed away and that I would not be asked back to my job. I was a teacher in a charter school that was getting a new principal who wanted to bring in more of his own people. As for my father, he w... More..
Arts & Humanities > Museums & Galleries (Other) Imagine that you have decided to launch a new museum ... what type of museum would you establish and why?: 9 of 20
Here's a hint: I'll need a lot of refrigerators and magnets. That's right, a museum of children's art! Of course I was kidding about the refrigerators, but I think it would be neat to have a museum completely devoted to art created by children, if there isn't such a museum already. As an elementary school teacher I am constan... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Baseball Baseball predictions: Surprise teams of 2008: 1 of 1
Part of the fun of gearing up for another baseball season is predicting which teams will make the playoffs. There's no shortage of TV analysts to give their two cents and most true fans can rattle off, with certainty, who will make the playoffs and win the World Series. What you don't hear often are predictions about the long... More..
Jobs & Careers > Education Jobs What abilities must you have to become a teacher?: 11 of 20
It is often said that the three most important things about real estate are "location, location, location!" In teaching, those three most important things are "patience, patience, patience!" It is easy for all of us to forget what it was like to be a kid in school. The best teachers remember because they approach their jobs w... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Political & Economic Theory Did campaign contributions and lobbying by the financial sector contribute to the meltdown on Wall Street?: 4 of 7
I'm only writing this because the two articles I was asked to review were so bad that I thought I should contribute. I couldn't even rate which one was better. This is from my blog. Please check it out. A Crisis of CharacterThis blog is connected to my website, www.starstudentprogram.com. The website is based on my experience... More..
Creative Writing > Poetry Poetry: Doubt: 35 of 59
DoubtsI hear the doubtscrawling around in my ceiling.Can't let them in,won't force them out.They scratch and gnaw,Just making their home.They are content to stay aboveAs long as I don't forget them. More..