Amelia Hollis, the blog. First, a disclaimer. Please note that any and all opinions or assertions of fact are entirely my own opinions or assertions made as an individual, private member of the community. Nothing should be taken to reflect neither the opinions nor assertions of my current or former employers, employees, customers, business partners, political affiliations, labor associations, or grantors. I have always taken very seriously my duty to avoid expressing any personal political, or religious belief or bias in the classroom. As I tell my students, “it is not my job to teach you what to believe, but as your English teacher it is my job to teach you how to express what you believe well, whatever that happens to be.”
Questions, comments, contact me. Complaints, why not! Why have friends, when you can have enemies? Why have enemies, when you can read a great piece on Vegas or maybe something about fair use? An education blog, but also a technology blog, personal essay blog, Las Vegas blog, language blog—what more could you want blog?
Leaving* Las Vegas—Or, On the Virtues of Being Tacky
Shining city on a hill? We built a tacky one in a valley. This is my journey in coming to view my hometown’s tackiness as the virtue, not vice, that it is. 🎰 🌵 Continue reading
Public Domain Day 2026! And, How Teachers Can Use Copyrighted Works Guilt-Free Under the Fair Use Doctrine
Although educators are often frightened by school district legal staff, the law provides teachers with pretty broad exceptions when it comes to using copyrighted material under fair use. When in doubt, use public domain materials or consult a lawyer! Continue reading
ChatGPT Killed the Em Dash: A Eulogy for a Classy Punctuation Mark for a Kid from a Tacky City
What is now one of the harbingers of AI-written slop is more than just punctuation to me. That’s a sad thought. Slightly pathetic. A eulogy for the beloved em dash. Continue reading