We carved pumpkins tonight. I know, I know. We were supposed to do this about a week and a half ago. But the weekend before Halloween found me grading papers and writing mid-term comments, and then Halloween had to go and fall on a Friday, and who has time to carve pumpkins on a weeknight? […]
Read moreLife feels new to me today. We closed our play last night, you see (and this word, “closed” makes it seem a Much Bigger Deal than it was, as it only ran two nights. But we are, for now, a small school), and so the day feels less compressed, less hemmed-in than the last weeks […]
Read moreSo, I’d like to write about my weekend. I have been planning to do so, in fact, and have several posts percolating (yet again). But Sunday night has arrived, and with it the pressures of the coming week. My students and I are putting our play, Don Quixote, into production this coming weekend, and, with […]
Read moreI’ve been reflecting just a wee bit lately on Christmas letters. Yes, it’s coming on that time again, and once again– as I do every year– I have hopes of sending mine out early. We’ll see about that. Last year’s Christmas letter was a reflection on what is “ideal.” Our culture creates it for us […]
Read moreHere we are! I made it work! Yes, here I am with My Dear Lynne, back in early July at Duke Gardens. She sent the photo to me yesterday and with it a little text, reminding me of the Day We Were Having: “It was the fateful day of the heat, and trees that cannot […]
Read moreEverett just reminded me of what I once told him was the paper-grading method my crazy writing professor in college said he had: You throw all the papers down the stairs.The papers that reach the bottom get an “A.” I’m not sure that’s great pedagogy, but sometimes it sounds good….
Read moreI have a big day ahead of me. A Big Day. I have about twelve papers left to grade, then a few residual make-up work things to grade, and then I proceed to write comments for report cards. I don’t mind any of this. I really don’t. I am eager to teach my students to […]
Read moreSome days you are an excellent teacher– on fire, really. Your lesson plans are amazing, your students are attentive. Your technological components work as if you designed them yourself. Your students have insightful comments and questions. No one complains about their grades. No one complains about their homework. Everyone is focused. Everyone is listening. You […]
Read morePurchased yesterday afternoon with a Barnes and Noble gift card from a student received Idon’trememberwhen. I haven’t time to read it of course and of course I’ve read it before. But I opened it last night before closing my eyes and treated myself to just a few pages (just a few), waiting to hear Big […]
Read moreSo Beth asked me for an explanation regarding the change, once again, in the name of this blog. I guess I had hoped not to provide one– mostly because I’m sort of embarrassed about changing it yet again– and I guess I don’t have to. I am the boss, anyway, if only of this blog. […]
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