Why don’t more teachers do this?

NOVEMBER 17, 2008

This Sunday St. Petersburg Times story took a look at Tracey Keim, a St. Petersburg High teacher who decided to give honors-level material to her regular 10th-grade English class. The kids couldn't stand the standard textbook she started the year with, but now they can't get enough of the new material, including the book Night, about the Holocaust.

"It's not boring," one student said about Keim's class. "I remember everything," said another.

Is it possible to get bigger compliments from 15-year-olds?

The story raised the obvious question: Why doesn't this happen more often? We know lots of teachers do do this. But do enough of them?

Here's what St. Petersburg High principal Al Bennett told the Gradebook about Keim’s decision: "If something's not working, we [have] got to find a way," he said. "I wish there were more teachers that had that let-nothing-stop-me mentality."

Ron Matus, State Education Reporter

Posted by Times Editor at 9:10:00 am on November 17, 2008 in

Teaching

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Gradebook features education articles and insights on schools in Florida, focusing on Tampa Bay area schools. What's the latest from the Florida Department of Education? How is the FCAT being used to compare Florida schools? What's going in on in Tampa Bay schools? Get an insider's view from the Times education reporting team.

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Rebecca Catalanello covers Pinellas County schools. E-mail her: rcatalanello@tampabay.com.

Tony Marrero covers Hernando County schools. E-mail him: tmarrero@tampabay.com.

Marlene Sokol covers Hillsborough County schools. E-mail her: sokol@tampabay.com.

Ron Matus covers Pinellas County schools. E-mail him: matus@tampabay.com.

Jeffrey S. Solochek covers Pasco County schools. E-mail him: solochek@tampabay.com.

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