Note to Readers: These words were written after Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston’s Bay Area. I didn’t lose everything like some neighbors did, but I’ve weathered enough personal storms to recognize grief’s strange familiarity. In the Days After the Water Came I returned to school today for a couple of days of work before the students…
August: I’ll be so happy when football returns and dozens of games are on TV each week. September: I wish a real cold front would come through and rid us of this miserable heat and humidity. October: I can’t wait until Thanksgiving week, when we get a 9-day break from the grind. December: Can’t we…
My wife and I lead what we consider to be simple, unassuming lives. We still live in the same modest house we bought over 30 years ago when we were in our mid-20s. That’s a time in life when many couples buy their “starter” homes. Fast forward 30 years and most starter homes in our…
The First Hour, Days and Years Tomorrow marks the beginning of my 24th year of teaching, and despite the many years that have passed, I remember well my first day as a teacher. In truth, my clearest memory is of the first hour of my first day as a teacher. Incoming students had to locate…
Technology is a blessing and a curse As I think about my schooling in the 60s and 70s, I am amazed at the amount of technology available to teachers and students today. Back in my high school days, using a simple four-function calculator in math class was considered cheating. Back then, incorporating technology into a…
The News: US returns to 1,000 coronavirus deaths in a day and officials warn pandemic will only get worse (CNN) God: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27…
There’s an old joke – um… two elderly women are at a Catskill mountain resort, and one of ‘em says, ‘Boy, the food at this place is really terrible.’ The other one says, ‘Yeah, I know; and such small portions.’” Woody Allen, Annie Hall Imagine a friend badgered you into going to lunch at a…
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. Psalm 46:1-2 Four years ago, I stepped back into my school building alongside my fellow teachers, returning for the first time since we’d left…
How often have you found yourself chasing something that seemed perfect, only to end up feeling disappointed and empty?” When I was a kid, the idea of a ham in a can (from an exotic, faraway land like Denmark, no less) was fascinating. I think the first time I saw one was in a mail-order…
Like almost every senior, teachers are looking forward to the last day of school with great anticipation. Yes, it is graduation day for the senior class, but for most teachers, it is also their last full work day of the year. I know what you’re thinking. You imagine teachers running to their cars shouting a…