First, brrrrr!!! It was to be -20 degrees in Iowa last week, with wind chills near -40.

Why do I live where the air hurts my face?

Because I had spiders the size of my head. Because I’m not a fan of snakes that could eat me (or harm me). Because, while alligators are very cool, they would eat me if given the chance.

#ohyoubigbaby

Hush.

Anyway, for whatever reason, my blog has been getting tons of views. I’m not sure if it’s Russian bots, if it’s spam, or if it’s actual people checking me out for the first.

So, if you are a bot, bugger off.

If you are spam, I prefer you fried up, with an egg, on sourdough bread.

And if you are an actual person, welcome!

#yeswelcome

I’m a blogger from the middle of nowhere Iowa. As you’ve guessed, I like to write, though the frequency in my blog might suggest otherwise. I tend to write about experiences. I’m not going to write about politics (though I should) or school policy (I live in Iowa, again, I should). I write about what I notice: the weather, student interactions, human interactions, the way my sourdough is rising (another obsession right now).

I’ve been part of the Two Writing Teachers “Slice of Life” for years, where we write and comment on each other. When WordPress introduced its daily prompts, I enjoyed writing about them as well.

This blog started as a challenge from a past superintendent to “do more” in getting our voices heard. So I started a Twitter account (@aniowateacher) and this blog. Way back in the day, it was amazing. Twitter isn’t the hellscape that it is now. 10 years ago, so many educators were online, sharing, creating experiences, and doing some awesome work in teaching their students about online presence, another reason I worked on how I interact with people.

I’ve taught pretty much every grade level, either as a sub or full-time teacher, so I know that middle school is my sweet spot, sixth grade in particular. They still want to enjoy school, yet are getting that personality that will be with them for the rest of their lives.

#theysmell

Yes, we have to have the “take a shower and use deodorant” conversation twice a year: once in the fall when it’s still warm out, and once in the spring when it’s starting to get warm again. I love embarrassing them when I say “puberty” because “OMG he just said THAT word!”

And you’ve probably noticed, my hashtags are intermixed into my writing. Sometimes, they are everywhere. Other times, there are not many there. Either way, they serve as my alter ego, that part of me that usually gets tapped down in real life, but can pop up here. They are funny, sarcastic, sad, happy, or whatever emotion I need at that time.

#orwejusttellitthewayitshouldbetold

Yes, that too.

Anyway, thank you for reading and for checking out my blog. I do appreciate each and every view, like, but most of all, comment. We don’t do much blogging in class, but that was always a favorite because they come up with some crazy, silly stuff.

Thank you again, and keep warm! We had a two-hour delay because the wind chill was -25 degrees. Brrrr!!

#rememberthespiders