My current apartment has my best bathtub ever. Not a clawfoot, but a big metal tub - I can now stretch out my legs completely (while sitting upright) in a tub for the first time since I was a child.

I am so jealous. I love baths, but I don't bother with them because they are actually UNrelaxing because I spend so much time trying to get the maximum amount of my body under the water.

Is humiliating a kid to make a point to the entire class about something as bullshit as text-speak really worth it?

First, she didn't humiliate the kid, she didn't identify the kid, she used what the kid did as an example, as in "this is what not to do". If she said "I failed Katie because . . ." then I would agree with you.

Second, it's not bullshit. Our job as teachers is to teach kids how to communicate, and if they are doing so in an incorrect manner, they need to be corrected. I can say from experience that if you let the little things go, they turn into big things. And if you set the expectation that it's okay, you will have problems.

I wouldn't ever address an issue with a student publicly, unless it was completely unavoidable (a student refusing to accept "We'll talk about it later," instead getting so abusive I eventually threw him out of class, is one of a few exceptions I can remember).

But that's me - and I always had a few classroom management issues. My students enjoyed my classes and did some good exploration of literature, but weren't always as focused as they could be. There's big variation in teaching styles, and many different styles are effective. My students may remember me fondly, but I expect they also appreciate the teachers who were meaner but got them slightly higher grades.

I miss teaching!

A crazy bitch in my Catholic school used to throw erasers at people. Not even a nun! Just an evil old lady.

We had a sub in grammar school who threw erasers and chalk. She was nuts.

I don't see holding up an example of what not to do as humiliation, especially if the kid isn't named.

I do think it is essential that kids learn how to communicate in a formal, business-like manner and I'm sure that (as in teaching any subject) different kids will respond to different approaches.

First, she didn't humiliate the kid,

You do not think that what the teacher did was humiliating. I do. You believe that you're right. I believe that I'm right. Ain't gonna change.

Second, it's not bullshit.

Oh, please. A middle-schooler. In math class, by the way, not English.

if you set the expectation that it's okay, you will have problems.

I may have misunderstood, but it sounded to me like the teacher did not explicitly say before the quiz that any use of textspeak or otherwise nonformal language would lead to a zero on the entire quiz.

Sure, lay out your rules clearly. I agree with that. But if you don't do so, punishing a student for not adhering to something that was never stated IS bullshit.

I cannot imagine what I would have done if a teacher threw things at a class that I was a part of. As early as 4th grade I know I called teachers out on what I considered unfair behavior, much less dangerous. I absolutely would have marched myself to the office at lunchtime or recess and reported the teacher to the secretary adn my mom would have heard an earful.

The next class after I turned in my first English paper in college, the prof wrote a sentence on the board and asked the class what was wrong with it. Everyone immediately pointed out the problem except for me--I was the one who wrote the sentence originally, and recognized it right away as mine. He never identified the writer, but I got the point: don't ever write that way again.

(I'm really brain dead today, trying to remember the proper grammatical term for my big error. Instead of saying "X did Y," I said "Y was done." What's that--indirect? Subjective? I can't think today!!)

Passive voice.

I'm sure that (as in teaching any subject) different kids will respond to different approaches.

Yes. This.

I guess I'd define good pedagogy as getting through to as many students as possible. When you're teaching to the group, it's sure as hell difficult to modify your teaching style for one student. Not that it shouldn't be done in some circumstances, but it's difficult.

I'm sure my thoughts on this subject will change as Owen heads through primary and into secondary school.

In math class, by the way, not English.

Yes, but her school system teaches cross-cirriculum. They teach writing in math, English in science, etc.