Tag: School

The Childhood Challenges of Growing Up

One day, while I was teaching a middle school music class, a student began playing with a small plastic toy on his desk, a Dominos Pizza Noid1. One was not allowed to do such in my class. This interaction between the student and me began: “You need to put him away, or I’m going to have to take him. And… Continue reading

Why I Hate Security

We all accept risk every day. We try to make informed decisions about the level of risk to which we are exposed. We drive our cars. We know tens of thousands of people die in the US every year in car accidents. Yet, we drive our cars. We drive them at ridiculous speeds. We choose to go well above the… Continue reading

Cursive Writing Begins to Officially Die

I’m especially interested in what parents and teachers think about this:  The state of Indiana has decided to stop teaching cursive writing in their schools.  (article) I’m not really sure what I think about that. Part of me says they’re right:  students should all be proficient at the computer keyboard.  I myself hardly ever even print and only use cursive… Continue reading

It's a Small World

Thursday, the15th I called an applicant’s former employer to verify the reference for a position at my school. I dialed a long distance number in another state. I told the school secretary who I was and why I was calling. She paused then said, I know who you are. Don’t you recognize my voice? Immediately I was shocked to realize… Continue reading