That's been the mantra of my eighth graders the last couple of days during reading/language arts class. We started The Light in the Forest and the first time we did a little writing activity, the cry went up: Why can't we just... Continue Reading →
This was my view driving home Monday afternoon. I was on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi, and it was just a stunning view. The problem is, the reason that I was able to see this sucked big time. Unfortunately,... Continue Reading →
Someday, I wish I was more organized. Someday, I wish that I was more intelligent. Someday, I wish my classroom would just feel like home. Someday, I wish I was a better husband and father. Someday, I wish I was... Continue Reading →
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW8BDgLpZkI I'm not even sure where I came across this video, but it's something I've shown in class a couple of times and have my students write about. What the videographer has done is created a "social experiment" where she's... Continue Reading →
Today, I spied one of my students on her phone in the hallway. While we aren't the "kids should never have a phone out ever" kind of school, in the hallway of the middle school isn't allowed and the students... Continue Reading →
Last year, my both of my daughters were offered the opportunity to travel with the Iowa Ambassadors of Music, a group of Iowa vocal and instrumental students who travel to Europe every two years. My oldest daughter took that invitation and ran... Continue Reading →
I've got 5,081 followers on Twitter. How that number ever came to be, I have no idea. I'm simply a guy, trying to do the best he can in a job he's not always very good at. Nothing more, nothing... Continue Reading →
Time. I wish I had more. #saideveryteacherever I say that, but I'm the king of frittering away time. I feel like my adult A.D.D. it always in charge because there are always more jobs than the amount of time that... Continue Reading →
I'm a day late on the "Slice of Life" Tuesday challenge from Two Writing Teachers, but that's ok because it seems like I've been off for a while now on a lot of things. Yesterday, yesterday was an awful day.... Continue Reading →
The Life of a Conflicted Teacher 