“You’re really writing a card for that?” “But, Miss. It was only a picture!” I’m lucky to receive gifts as a teacher. Of course, I have some favorite teacher gifts from over the years. But I treasure every time a student and their family thinks of me. Recently, it occurred to me that I’ve written … [Read more…]
It started on Twitter, as most great ideas do. I’m proud of you. OK, fine. Only half of that first idea is true. But thanks to a wonderful Internet friend, a bot, and a beloved cardigan-wearing superhero, this post really did start on Twitter. “I’m proud of you.” — MisterRogersQuotes (@MisterRogersSay) December 3, 2019 When … [Read more…]
Six years ago, it was a late Thanksgiving. I know because we celebrated it with my nana the same as we did every year, and my mom ordered the biggest cheesecake anyone had ever seen. After all, it was Thanksgiving, and it was also my nana’s birthday. She turned 93. She squeezed my hand so … [Read more…]
“No one has time any more for anyone else.” The words sat there, just a few pages into our novel study of Fahrenheit 451. My breath caught in my throat. I’ve read those very words over a dozen times, but this year, they read differently. In 1953, Bradbury predicted many things. From screens that interact … [Read more…]
Senior year of high school, one of my friends convinced me to watch House of 1,000 Corpses. No one could believe I hadn’t seen it in theaters (for the three whole days it was there?), so we rented it. From Blockbuster. I had long survived The Blair Witch Project and The Ring. Recently, I had … [Read more…]
You’re expecting a metaphor, aren’t you? The truth is I took an honest-to-goodness nap today. And it’s so important, I’ve actually decided to write about it. It wasn’t a particularly exceptional nap in any regard other than the fact that I actually took one. A lot of times, I think about resting. Occasionally, I even … [Read more…]
The year is more than half over. In less than six months, it’ll be 2020. And if I’m entirely honest, I’m not even sure that I’m totally used to calling this year 2019. Knowing that we’re in the downhill half of the year, my instinct was to step even more goals. However, after realizing how … [Read more…]
We’re halfway through the year! I’m not sure if I should be looking for congratulations or condolences. There’s nothing quite like the calendar flip to July to make me think long and hard about what I’ve done with my year…and what I have left to do. First up is an exploration of my goals for … [Read more…]
Over the past year, I received two remarkable gestures from two Internet heroes. While I’ve certainly thought about their actions, I haven’t quite been able to find the words to tell the stories. I’m still not sure I have those words. But I want to share their gestures now for two reasons. I want to … [Read more…]
You can always make more money, but what you can’t get more of is time. This statement is both profoundly true everywhere and logistically false in education. The idea that any teacher can simply work hard to earn more income shows little understanding of a profession that is governed by salary schedules, lane changes, and … [Read more…]