a new experience This is my seventh year in the secondary classroom. When I began teaching, I didn't imagine I would be teaching this long. In fact, nearly 1 in 5 teachers tap out by year 5. I didn't know what I would be doing, but I packed up my classroom each spring vaguely wondering how many more times I would do that. While I have LOVED the experience, this year, more than ever before, I am experiencing the clear signs of teacher burnout. I can tell because I am not having as much ... Read More about Teacher Burnout…and solutions
My child said, “I hate you”
Spartacus, our oldest, will turn 5 this year, and he is in his second year of full-time preschool. He attends a wonderful Lutheran ministry, but despite the best efforts of his parents teachers, that pesky original sin side keeps sneaking through! Today, for the first time he shouted up the stairs at his daddy those piercing words: "I hate you!" When my child says, "I hate you" I was in the kitchen, cleaning up from supper. Daddy was upstairs getting bath time ready. Spartacus had not ... Read More about My child said, “I hate you”
What to do after a car accident
Life101 Adulting Series Let's assume you didn't read my 3 tips for winter driving post, and you slid into another car on your way to work this morning. What should you do if you're in a fender bender? Lucky for you I've been in several car accidents -- none of which were my fault!! -- so I can give you some tips on what to do if you find yourself in your first vehicular altercation. Obviously if anyone is injured, your first step is to call 911 and get help as soon as possible, but if you ... Read More about What to do after a car accident
How to Drive in the Winter: 3 Quick Tips
Life101 Adulting Series We had our first major snowfall this past week in Indiana, and my high school students, like every other driver on the road, freaked out. Because driving in the winter can be scary, and maybe something will go wrong. How should you drive in slippery conditions? Winter Drive Tip One: Just Drive SLOWER I know you're running late. But a tardy to class is better than a car accident, any day. Give yourself twice as much time to get anywhere in snowy and icy ... Read More about How to Drive in the Winter: 3 Quick Tips
Advent with a 4-year-old
Last week we enjoyed that most precious of Advent preparation events, the preschool Christmas program. 4-year-old Spartacus was thrilled to play Joseph. It was everything a children's Christmas program should be: adorable, disorganized in spite of all the preparation, technical difficulties, and children waving and picking their noses. During "This Little Light of Mine," Joseph disappeared briefly, having misplaced his star prop somewhere under his chair. When he resurfaced, his fabric ... Read More about Advent with a 4-year-old
Best Christmas Gift for Everyone
Last year, Spartacus received a Christmas present that got put away with the decorations. It got pulled from the basement this past weekend as we put up our first *live* tree, and Spartacus has rediscovered this toy. And we have discovered it is the Greatest Christmas Present Ever For Anyone. WHAT IS IT, you ask? Indoor snowballs. Indoor snowballs, you say? Why yes. The are soft, and have a pleasant squish that feels just a little snowy (a little akin to how it feels to squeeze a hacky ... Read More about Best Christmas Gift for Everyone
Little Ones to Him Belong
Intercom Devotion Earlier this week I was rocking my daughter, who is almost two, to sleep before bed. I sang her the simple hymn, “Jesus Loves Me,” which is one of her favorites. She has some speech delays, but she knows some sign language, and she loves this song because she can sign the refrain, “Yes, Jesus Loves Me.” As I cuddled my rapidly growing child and reflected on how quickly this time goes, I sang her the line, “Little ones to him belong, they are weak but he is strong.” ... Read More about Little Ones to Him Belong
Grading Gaffs: The Cows
We just wrapped up The Crucible in my AP English class. I was grading one of their online reading quizzes, and realized there must be something SparkNotes missed on their coverage of Act IV: the cows. The Cows The Crucible (for once I did NOT get parent complaints on) is a retelling of the Salem Witch Trials, and the final climactic act occurs in the jail before the execution of some of the lead characters. The scene opens with some of the "confessed" witches: the Barbados slave Tituba and ... Read More about Grading Gaffs: The Cows
Vlog: Down and Dirty with the Mayflower Compact
Earlier this fall, I assigned my students a paper I knew they would struggle with, because there wasn't a "right" way to write it. Student LOVE to ask, "What do you want me to write?" And I LOVE to respond, "I don't care as long as you defend it." Still, I knew I would get the same six questions eighteen times in the hour before the paper was due for digital submission. And I didn't have time to respond to the same email over and over again. My solution? Vlogging. I made them a ... Read More about Vlog: Down and Dirty with the Mayflower Compact
Life Hacks: Debunked
Life101 Adulting Series The "life hack" is a fairly new term to describe a fairly old idea: how to live life more efficiently. It usually is applied to clever tricks that make you think, "Why didn't I think of that?" The life hack has spawned countless blog posts and click bait promising you ways to use things you already own to make your world run more smoothly. The problem is, many of these "life hacks" are more akin to "pinterest fails" that cause you to work harder than you need to. ... Read More about Life Hacks: Debunked
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