"A word after a word after a word is power." - Margaret Atwood
Stop Telling Kids to be Nicer to Bullies
Today's headline was this. And I just can't. I can't perpetuate the myth that people who shoot innocent children in schools do so because they were bullied. I can't accept that somehow a mass murderer deserves my sympathy as much as or more than the victims and their families. I can't tell my children or… Continue reading Stop Telling Kids to be Nicer to Bullies
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North Carolina Legislators, Please Note
Today is the first day of your short session. It was adjourned, as I have read it, within 30 minutes of its call to order. This, with approximately 20,000 North Carolina teachers on your doorstep. We expect more from our lawmakers, just as we expect more from our students. As educators, we are responsible for… Continue reading North Carolina Legislators, Please Note
To My Mom, Who is Far Away, On Mother’s Day
I wish I could be with you on Mother's Day, but as it works sometimes, time and distance are not with us this weekend. From my living room eleven hours away, I am thinking of you in your home of the past year and a half, a home we never intended. No one ever does.… Continue reading To My Mom, Who is Far Away, On Mother’s Day
Parenting Via Text – How Micro Conversations Keep Me Connected With My Kids
When my kids left for college, I had many moments of panic that we would soon be down to the obligatory once a week phone call where we would engage in 10 minutes of small talk, and I would be more or less disconnected from their lives as they grew into their lives as adults.… Continue reading Parenting Via Text – How Micro Conversations Keep Me Connected With My Kids
Feed Kittens, Not Trolls
I’ve heard of comment sections referred to as the sewer of the Internet. Honestly I like browsing comment sections to look for additional information, divergent viewpoints, and sometimes thoughtful commentary. But inevitably, the trolls will be there, gleefully triggering strangers with their inflammatory statements, misinformation, and poor writing skills. Often these trolls have 50, 80,… Continue reading Feed Kittens, Not Trolls
We Are Not Soldiers
This week I was told that in an active shooter situation, I should get my students to safety, barricade my doors and then stand to the side of the door so that I could engage and possibly disarm an active shooter. It wasn't bad advice, and I trust the source of the advice. I agree… Continue reading We Are Not Soldiers
The Day of the Dumpster, Part II
Within a day or two, they were starting to come around. The first one here was Johnny, coming to pick up his son Noah, whom I had taken home from his soccer game. “Where is it?” he asked. You might think that no one could possible miss a dumpster sitting in the middle of a… Continue reading The Day of the Dumpster, Part II
