“I’d Rather Be Shot at than Teach”
My town isn’t big enough to have any politicians stationed outside its polling location. I always enjoy talking to poll workers of both sides, so I was disappointed there were none–no stickers,...
View ArticleWhen You Have the Bad Kid…
“Declan broke this pencil on purpose. He’ll have to replace it.” Yet another note from school. “Why did you do that?” I ask. He gives me a blank stare like he got his mind erased in a sci-fi movie. I...
View ArticleBargains with God: How Solving the Rubik’s Cube in Just 30 Years Made Me...
Declan gets pennies in a reward jar for not annoying me. He earned enough to get something. He asked for a Rubik’s Cube. I was the last of my friends to get the Rubik’s Cube in the 80’s. I never did...
View ArticleBusting the Curve on My First Second-Grade Project
We’re making poster boards of our favorite insects, Declan and I. It’s my first second grade project. I tell him I’m not going to do it for him, I’m going to make my own. “You can’t make one! Parents...
View ArticleHow to Be More Than the Sum of Our Parts
When I write, I write alone. It’s never a collaboration unless it’s work-based, and even then, I write my twenty, thirty, or forty pages first, then pass them over with a “What do you think?” before...
View Article“The Fiery Furnace”–The Greatest Speech I Never Heard
If you haven’t heard Paul Burgett’s “The Fiery Furnace” speech (here on Soundcloud) you must. It’s one of the greatest speeches of all times. I like to listen to a good speech. A good speech makes...
View ArticleManaging Millennials: Are YOU the Dinosaur in New World Economy?
“Kids today!” I hear this a lot. Teachers grumble about kids’ phones, inappropriate digital activity, kids and their Snapchat… My entrepreneur friends talk about the millennial entitlement–employees...
View ArticleA Man’s Box is his Castle: How to Feed the Creative Mind
All you really need in life is a box and some tape. “No! Don’t recycle, Mom! I need them.” The stack of Amazon boxes reminds Declan of Christmas. I scowl–forty rainforests died because I ordered a...
View ArticleRate Your Standardized Test Proctor Here
Customer Satisfaction Survey: Rate Your Standardized Test Proctor Here Please answer the following questions about your standardized test proctor In order to give you the best experience possible...
View ArticleThe Ultimate Guide for Squeezing the Most Out of First-Year Teachers
This post was first published in The Mission on Medium. If you’re an aspiring or current educational leader, you know first-year teachers are cheap, but they don’t stay cheap for long. Hiring isn’t...
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