About
My name is Michael Grossman. I am a passionate writer and experienced classroom teacher, living and working in Melbourne Australia.
I am very interested in topics such as self-esteem, childhood obesity, resilience and classroom management. These are some of the themes I explored in my newly published novel, “My Favourite Comedian”. I wrote the novel to provide a voice for kids and an opportunity for teachers and parents to share these sensitive issues with their students and children respectively.
This blog is about sharing and interacting on some of the topical issues facing proud and passionate teachers like myself.
Enjoy!
You can buy a copy of the book by clicking on the link
You can read my recent book interview at Smashwords by clicking on the link
Topical Teaching 
November 25, 2010 at 3:16 pm |
Unublished novel? You are writing a novel? Oh, that is great! I believe that it will be bestseller, cause the issues you are touching upon are really problematic ones. I want to be your regular visitor and learn new and useful things from your blogs.
P/S: I love teaching, too!
November 25, 2010 at 3:21 pm |
Thank you so much! I worked for 10 years on the novel and completed it just this year. I am using it as a resource for addressing issues such as body image and divorce in my classroom. My dream is that other teachers will be able to use it too. I’m just worried that a book without violence or suspence (although it is funny and a hit with those I have shared it with), isn’t a book publishers want to touch.
December 28, 2010 at 5:11 pm |
My name is Michael G. I am a passionate Grade 4 teacher, living and working in Melbourne Austalia.
Your site looks great! I was a teacher myself, my father before me.
I’ll certainly stop by.
These are some of the themes I explored in my unpublished novel, “My Favourite Comedian”. I have written the novel
For very very cheap, you can self publish here:
http://www.lulu.com
Or, if you are into publishing via E-Reader, it’s even easier here:
http://pubit.barnesandnoble.com/pubit_app/bn?t=pi_reg_home
Good luck!
December 28, 2010 at 5:16 pm |
Thank you for those links. I am still to submit the manuscript to publishers, but am about to hand it in to Penguin Publishing. Fingers crossed that they like it as much as my students do.
December 31, 2010 at 2:17 pm |
I hope your book can find a better luck one day.
I just drop by to say Hi. Thank you for stopping by in my blog and I got a chance to see your wonderful blog. This is the 1st time I read another teacher’s blog. I will definitely follow you through RSS.
Tho, I don’t specialized my blog in just teaching stuff, but I talked about my students a lot…but mostly in my native language, Indonesian.
January 5, 2011 at 10:41 pm |
I’d add my voice to the eBook suggestion. These days my first choice is to see if a book is available for my kindle.
And as well as that, why not start to put chapters on your blog? That way you build some interest and can direct readers to your ebook.
January 5, 2011 at 11:48 pm |
Thanks Kim. At the moment I have been so insecure about rejection I have given the manuscript to various editors and writers for their opinions and suggested modifications. I really believe in the book. I think it is both entertaining and illuminating.
January 6, 2011 at 9:13 pm |
OK, I left a comment a few minutes ago, hit the post button, and it disappeared. Is there some black hole out there for comments?
January 6, 2011 at 9:15 pm |
I would love to have read it. Thanks for contributions both inside and outside the black hole that is my blog.
January 6, 2011 at 9:18 pm |
Hi Again, Michael,
the Kim Miller up there and Scribblygum are the same. I don’t know why it gives me as two different people.
January 6, 2011 at 9:24 pm |
I think I’ve got it. There is now a second comment that hasn’t appeared. Both the missing comments had website links in them, and I’m guessing that the system doesn’t like that.
Here’s a workaround.
For the first link, do a search for advancedfictionwriting dot com. Hit the blog link in the menu along the top. Today’s post is about rejection.
The second link was to a post on my own blog. Go to scribblygum dot wordpress. Search for ‘rejection’ from Dec 2007.
Hope this works.
January 6, 2011 at 9:44 pm |
I will check it out. Thank you for your continued interest and generosity.
January 11, 2011 at 4:01 pm |
Publish the book! We need “funny” in this world! Self publish if you need to, or do it as an e-book & sell it here! Keep up the good work!
January 12, 2011 at 1:21 am |
Thanks. I am rigorously working on preparing the manuscript for Publishers. If that doesn’t work, I’ll go the self publishing or online publishing routes.
January 16, 2011 at 1:26 pm |
I’ve signed up for your site updates. I’m interested in how parents can work with teachers to ensure a child’s success in school. Do you have any more blogs that might address this issue? Best to you, Ruth 🙂
January 16, 2011 at 3:57 pm |
Thank yo so much Ruth for signing up and contributing to my blog. It is very much appreciated. No, I don’t have other blogs. With teaching and being the primary carer for our delightful daughter, I can’t commit to another blog.
January 16, 2011 at 5:56 pm |
Hey Ruth,
you might be interested in an article I wrote for a local educational magazine where I encourage parents to get involved with their kids’ school.
Check out www dot getaheadkids dot com dot au. Then hit the link for the current issue, turn to page ten. (Sorry about the ‘dots’ in the web address, but this comment system won’t allow proper links.)
January 20, 2011 at 7:55 pm |
Hi Michael G.,
i subscribed your blog. This may sound stupid, but i found no other way to reach you (email etc) on your blogs “about” page than leaving here a public comment. is this intentional ?
January 20, 2011 at 8:22 pm |
Thank you Horst Jens for subscribing to my blog. The reason I haven’t advertised my email is that it features my full name which I am keeping quiet, so my school don’t find out about the blog. They may choose to force me to shut it down if they find out. I did however start up a new account after reading your reply. My new account is:
passionateteaching@yahoo.com.au
Looking forward to your email.
April 26, 2011 at 8:08 am |
Hello — this is Rod Smith
Loved your comment on my website and just linked to you– i hope that is ok with you.
By the way, my brother lives in Kew.
Loved the illustration on your punishment post.
Where can I get a copy of your novel? Let me know.
Rod
April 27, 2011 at 12:21 am |
Thank you so much Rod for your comment.
On the contrary I appreciate the link very much.
I live about a 20-25 min drive from Kew
My novel is on it’s way to a potential publisher. Fingers crossed. Should I succeed in getting published, or even if I self-publish, I will be sure to le you know.
Once again, I appreciate your interest and look forward to reading more of your blog.
May 17, 2011 at 12:36 pm |
Hey micheal, thank so much for stopping by my blog. In my blogging, just now started, I’m trying to get my name our there and raise interest. However I am truly concerned abut redeveloping creativity into the lives of students. I subscribed to the blog you have some excellent posts and observations!
May 19, 2011 at 8:17 pm |
Your blog is terriffic! I wish you the best on your road to publication. Thanks for following.
November 7, 2011 at 8:52 pm |
Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment and allowing me to discover your blog. I am learning everyday about parenting and want to be able to develop the child’s potential fully!
Please do drop by my site regularly to share your insights! 🙂
October 4, 2012 at 12:34 pm |
Hey, I know you’re from Australia, but you got some info in this piece (https://topicalteaching.com/tag/superintendent-neil-cavallaro) really wrong. I went to WHHS and knew Dr. Whitney. WHHS is in Connecticut, not New Hampshire. The paper was the New Haven Register, not the New Hampshire Register.
October 4, 2012 at 1:08 pm |
The words in bold were not my own but quoted from the article linked within my post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/21/patricia-whitney-west-hav_n_1818308.html
December 11, 2012 at 3:30 am |
Hello Michael,
It’s Kathy Kenney-Marshall. If you liked that one, you might enjoy my new book, Crumbs From the Table of Life. It has similar stories from the classroom, the parental plate, and just plain life. I am also on Word Press…Crumbsfromlife.wordpress.com.
My youngest will be traveling to Australia this coming semester. He’ll be in Sydney though. Thanks for sharing my words with your followers. Please contact me and we can share third grade stories!
KKM
June 6, 2013 at 3:42 am |
I would like to get in contact with you, but there seems to be very little way to do so. Please email (greg@inspiringdoubt[dot]com) me or contact me via twitter @inspiringdoubt or on Facebook through my page or public account by my name.
June 6, 2013 at 9:07 am |
Thank you for your interest Greg. Feel free to email me on topicalteaching@gmail.com.
November 4, 2013 at 6:46 pm |
Nice blog! Looking forward to reading your posts and exchanging ideas with you 🙂
November 4, 2013 at 6:49 pm |
Thank you! I very much look forward to that!
February 19, 2014 at 3:53 am |
I hope you don’t mind but I’ve linked your blog to my blog here: https://cartmellbrowne.wordpress.com.
I’ve only just found your website, even though you link to an article I wrote for the Guardian back in 2012!
Although I don’t write that often when I do I tend to focus on technology and educational issues and look forward to reading more of your posts.
February 19, 2014 at 1:26 pm |
Thank you for linking my blog.
July 9, 2015 at 1:45 am |
Hi Michael – Thank you for stopping by School Teacher Superhero and liking my post on finding humor and human in difficult situations. Australia! What a hotbed of educational thinking and sharing on social media. Some of my favorite chats come from there. Glad to have found your blog and I look forward to poking around 🙂
July 9, 2015 at 12:22 pm |
No problem. I appreciate interacting with people who share my passion for education.
August 22, 2018 at 12:53 am |
Hi, this is Joshua Flashman (Not the one related to the Adam Lanza controversy). Every time I search my name, a great big picture of the notorious school shooter comes up thanks to the blog post at https://topicalteaching.com/tag/joshua-flashman/.
I am just entering college and I’m really worried about what this could mean when potential recruiters or employers search my name. Could I please ask that you remove this post?
Thanks,
Joshua
September 17, 2018 at 3:23 pm |
Fair enough. wILL DO.