Exploring Cuneiform Tablets at the NYPL: The Ancient Roots of Homework

Hey, y’all. I’m at the 42nd Street Stephen A. Schwarzman Library on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, discovering the treasures within. 

Today, I’ve found some intriguing tablets written in cuneiform. As many of you know, I’ve been a teacher for 13 years, and every year, I get a question that’s especially popular among middle, but also high school students: “Who invented homework?” 

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 A fascinating answer might be the Mesopotamians or Babylonians. The tablets we’re talking about were used by students for writing practice, likely within the home of a scribe or a master. The pieces you’re seeing now are mainly literary texts that the students were required to copy and submit as demonstrations of their skill. There’s also a tablet featuring mathematical equations among them. Yes, the New York Public Library has a significant collection of these cuneiform tablets. 

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Pro tip: The Morgan Library on Madison Avenue also has an impressive collection of these ancient educational artifacts. So, indeed, do your homework, kids.

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Alexander the Great's Portrait at British Museum: Deification & Legacy in Art

Hey, y’all. I’m in the British Museum. This marble portrait represents Alexander the Great and dates back to the 2nd century B.C.E. 

Alexander, a master of propaganda, meticulously managed the various depictions of his likeness across his empire. He entrusted the production of his image exclusively to a select group of sculptors and painters. These artists depicted him as youthful, with a clean-shaven face, long hair, and a dynamic pose characterized by a turning head. This style of portraiture was somewhat adopted by Alexander’s successors, but it exerted a more significant influence on the portraits of later Hellenistic kings and private individuals. Alexander was deified during his lifetime, and following his death, he was venerated as a god in images like this one.

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Overcoming Bullying: A Personal Journey of Strength and Advocacy.

Discover how standing up to a bully in sixth grade taught me invaluable lessons about courage and speaking out.

Hey, y’all. In support of anti-bullying efforts, I want to share a personal story with you. When I was in the sixth grade, a kid in the lunch line bullied me. Every day, he would stand behind me and push me relentlessly. So, I went home and asked my parents, “How can I deal with this bully?” My dad suggested, “Just push him back,” whereas my mom cautioned, “Don’t listen to him; you’ll end up in trouble.” Fast forward to another day in the lunch line. Did I push him back? Yes, I summoned the strength, feeling empowered like Naruto, and pushed him. He fell to the ground, and I was astounded by my own strength. Panicked, I ran to the bathroom—the girls’ bathroom—and hid there for the entire lunch period: five minutes, then ten, then twenty. Eventually, the assistant principal called out, “Are you in there?”

I was then taken to Missus Schott’s office. Why she was named “Missus Schott” intrigued us all, as rumors suggested she kept a shotgun in her office. She asked why I was hiding in the girls’ bathroom. I explained how the boy who had been bullying me all year provoked me to push him. I apologized profusely. She reassured me, “It’s okay. We’ve been aware of his behavior. I’m glad you brought this to our attention. You’re okay.” That boy was disciplined for his actions.

But the story doesn’t end there. Upon returning to my sixth-grade class, guess what happened? He was suspended—not me. When I entered the classroom, to my surprise, my classmates applauded. It dawned on me that I wasn’t the only one suffering from his bullying.

Ever since that incident, the boy never bothered me again. I can barely remember what he looked like. So, what’s the moral of my story? I don’t advocate for physical retaliation, but it’s crucial to stand up for yourself. Bullies operate on a simple principle: as long as they believe they can evade consequences, they will persist. Perhaps the best approach is to speak up and make it clear that their behavior is unacceptable.

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Portfolio: Mr. Roselli's Teaching Career in a Visually Appealing Presentation

Teaching Statement

Everything I do revolves around Arts and Letters. As a kid, I haunted my local public library and connected with teachers and coaches. As an adult, I’ve worked with learners aged ten to eighteen and thrive when students share stories, thoughts, writing, drawings, and future ambitions.

I teach ethical thinking within Humanities and ELA, adapting instruction to engage each class and collaborating with colleagues when units align. Instruction evolves to meet students’ needs, hooking and sustaining their curiosity through co-planning and shared resources.

I design learning spaces with maps, anchor charts, and reading materials that spark inquiry. I love when students exclaim, “Mr. Roselli—look what I read!” because they see me as a fellow learner in our shared journey.

Active Teacher: Celebrating Diversity, Values, Clubs & Student Groups

I engage in school life by celebrating our community’s diversity, upholding traditions, facilitating after-school clubs, and helping students find affinity groups. My commitment extends beyond the classroom into every corner of school culture.

Collaboration in the High School English Language Arts Classroom

I spearheaded an empathy initiative, bringing lower- and upper-school students together in planned enrichment activities. I also debriefed with students afterward and emphasized empathy not as an academic concept but as something we practice through action. When I saw one of my teens interact with a first-grader with patience and kindness, it opened up a later conversation that year when they were struggling with a peer. I said, “Do you remember when you were so patient with that first-grader? I’m trying to help you get out of your head and think of every interaction as an opportunity to grow—not an easy task, I know.”

Bringing Octavia Butler’s Kindred to life, my eleventh graders dramatized profiles of social justice, historical resistance, and time travel between modern Los Angeles and antebellum Maryland.

Writing Strategies

Sixth Graders in My Humanities Class Create a Mind Map—a useful brainstorming technique for Writing and Idea Sharing.

Independent Reading Initiatives

Are you tired of Netflix? Every summer, I spearhead a themed reading initiative featuring voices like Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds. During the year, students select books, read in class, and share reviews to foster lifelong reading habits.

Field Trips

I took my Sixth grade class to the Brooklyn Museum to see Egyptian artifacts as part of our unit on Egyptian mythology. I have taken students to many different places—including the Tenement Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Philadelphia, Nantucket, China, and France and the United Kingdom.

Community Involvement

I invite my class to participate in volunteering; I have taken students to the Brooklyn Book Bodega, a non-profit that has as its mission to provide one hundred books for every New Yorker. I have also partnered with Street Lab and other organizations.

I am in search of a community of high-achieving students. I work best with students from eighth to tenth grade; however, I have experience teaching students as young as fifth grade and as old as college-aged. I consider myself an all-around teacher with one foot in English Language Arts and the other in the Humanities.

If you are seeking a dynamic, warm, witty, and engaging teacher, one whom students often praise by saying, 'We love Mr. Roselli. He does make us do a lot of work, but he has a way of making it fun,' then look no further.

Contact me. I'd love to hear from you.

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Sully Wing Secrets: Louvre's Greek and Egyptian Wonders

Discover a teacher's unique Louvre encounters, from Greek beauty to Egyptian relics. Explore beyond Mona Lisa to uncover the Louvre's heart.

(2) Apollon Sauroctone

(1) Éphèbe

You can't expect to tour the Louvre and see it all. I've visited the museum three times; most recently this past February as a high school English teacher on a London and Paris school trip. My previous visits were in 2000 and 2001 as a college student. During the first of those trips, I explored the Denon wing, which houses the Louvre's iconic treasures — the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Coronation of Napoleon, and all those wonderful works of art. I was in awe, though I do recall the Mona Lisa looking more like a postcard (she still does, but we adore you, La Joconde!).

On this third visit, I began in the basement of the Sully wing and worked my way up, which proved to be immensely rewarding. And I did not even catch nary a glimpse of Leonardo's lady nor did I see the Nike (they live in my heart). Where the Éphèbe (1) and Apollo Sauroctone (2) reside is a vast collection of Greco-Roman sculpture, including the Venus de Milo. I was struck by the youthful Narcissus, whom I initially mistook for an athlete — he epitomizes Greek beauty and the stylized classical loveliness associated with the young and svelte. Similarly, there is the Apollo — it seems the gods enjoyed odd, vain acts like slaying lizards — apparently, this depicts Apollo as a protector. I had some knowledge of this piece prior to my visit, so seeing it in person was a delight.

Deep in the Sully wing lie the remnants of the Louvre's past life as a fortress before it became a royal palace and now a museum. The dungeon, curiously, serves as the storage for artifacts related to French history and the story of the Louvre complex. Here, I encountered a majestic sculpture representing the river (3) — there are actually two, but here we speak of one: the Seine. And I must say, I was captivated by him.

The Louvre's Egyptian wing is dizzying, with fifteen thousand objects from their massive half-a-million-piece collection. Even after seeing Egyptian art in numerous museums, the Louvre's assemblage feels personal and well-organized. The procession of sphinxes (4) in Room 327 was a charming touch — I half-expected one to spring to life and pose the classic riddle about the creature that walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the evening.

A three-thousand-year-old Egyptian statue (5), likely once part of a fierce work, is displayed, and it caught my attention, especially because of its eyes. It reminded me of how Percy Bysshe Shelley envisions the sculptor of Rameses II (now in the British Museum), meticulously carving the pharaoh's visage, well aware of the emperor's demands for precision.

And finally, I returned to that room that first captured my heart — Room 344 — where a statue of Zeus, or technically Jupiter (6) (since it's a Roman piece), stands from the second century. And, goodness, what a figure he cuts!

(3) Un fleuve

(4) Statue of a Sphinx

(5) Statue

(6) Jupiter

Citations:

(1) Louvre Museum. Narcisse (Type, Original en Bronze) - Éphèbe (Boucle, Court, Nu, Appuyé, Sur Pilier, Bas). 2nd century A.D., Basse Égypte. Louvre, Department of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities, Sully wing, ground floor, room 344, item Ma 457. https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010278134.

(2) Louvre Museum. Apollon Sauroctone. 2nd quarter 1st century A.D., Italy. Louvre, Department of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities, Sully wing, ground floor, room 344, item Ma 441. https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010278000.

(3) Barye, Antoine Louis. Un fleuve. 19th century, France. Musée du Louvre, Department of Sculptures of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Modern Times, inventory number RF 1560 & RF 1561. Louvre Museum, Sully, [HIST LOUVRE] Salle 134 - Salle de la maquette, Vitrine 08 https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010093894.

(4) Musée du Louvre. Statue of a Sphinx. Circa 380-362 B.C. [?], Serapeum of Memphis, Saqqara. Musée du Louvre, Department of Egyptian Antiquities, Room 327, Sully, inventory number N 391 D. Louvre Museum, https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010009175.

(5) Musée du Louvre. Statue. Third Intermediate Period, circa 1069-664 B.C. [?]. Musée du Louvre, Department of Egyptian Antiquities, inventory numbers E 2410; N 1579; Clot bey C 25 no. 5. Louvre Museum, https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010013953.

(6) Musée du Louvre. Jupiter. 2nd century A.D. [?], Italy. Musée du Louvre, Department of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities, Room 344. https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010277023.

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Energize Students with Quick Activity: Critical Thinking & Movement for Engagement

Revitalize your classroom dynamics with an interactive activity that boosts student engagement and fosters critical thinking. Discover how positioning students based on their opinions on controversial topics like myths and relationships not only energizes them but also prompts insightful discussions on peer influence and the Socratic method. Suitable for grades seven and up. Share your experiences!

If you’re looking for a quick method to energize your students, particularly if they appear sluggish or disinterested at the beginning or end of a class, set aside three to four minutes for this activity. Initially, they might groan, but then you present them with a scenario. 

 

You’ll ask a question and instruct students to position themselves in the classroom based on their response: those with an emphatic “yes” to one side, an emphatic “no” to the opposite side, and the undecided or “wishy-washy” in the middle. The closer a student stands to either side, the stronger their feelings about the topic. 

 

For instance, you could pose a question like, “Was Narcissus right to reject Echo’s love?” or “Does this myth accurately represent aspects of romantic relationships or unrequited love?” The more controversial or thought-provoking the question, the more engaged the students will become. As they move around the room, they not only physically activate but also engage in critical thinking, determining their stance on the issue. 

 

Observing students who are indecisive, watching where their friends go, and then following, provides an opportunity to address the influence of peer pressure in a gentle manner. This activity is not only a fun way to get students moving but also fosters critical thinking and encourages a Socratic method of engagement. 

I have implemented this strategy with students as young as seventh grade and with high schoolers. Have you tried this approach before? I’m eager to hear your thoughts and experiences.

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Language Meets Art: Exploring 'Amor' and 'Caritas' in Augustus-Saint-Gaudens’ Work at The Met 🌟🖼️

Explore the captivating intersection of language and art in Augustus Saint-Gaudens' masterpiece, Amor and Caritas, at The Met. A linguistic and artistic journey awaits, unveiling the roots of love and charity in this gilt bronze treasure. Perfect for educators and art enthusiasts.

Hey, y’all! 🌟 Hey, y’all! I’m at the Metropolitan Museum of Art today. I’m looking at Augustus-Saint-Gaudens’ gilt bronze piece from 1918 in the American wing. As a high school and middle school English and humanities teacher, I’m thrilled to share a bit of word power knowledge with you.

This piece beautifully intertwines language and art, featuring the words ‘amor’ and ‘caritas.’ 📚 ‘Amor,’ the Latin for love, is the root of the English word ‘amorous.’ And ‘caritas’? It signifies love and charity, a reminder of generosity and virtue. 💖

What makes this even more special is the angelic figure presenting these powerful words – a perfect blend of linguistic heritage and artistic expression. 🌈 So, here’s to finding love and language in art!

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