CLASS

Your Covid Back-to-School Clothes Guide It's the height of Back to School shopping season. This is the time of year most teachers abuse their credit cards stocking up for the classroom. Today, I want to talk about fashion, because it's usually the time you'd get an...

We all pitched in for Peanut Kid "I want a peanut butter sandwich."  That's all Declan would eat for lunch and most dinners: peanut butter. There was no use arguing, sitting him down, reading another child psychology book, and saving the food until it turned green or...

Things I’m wondering I'm glad we're discussing back to school. We're all ready to have things back to normal. But, I have questions before we jump back in. I’m not making a judgment here or committing to a "yes" or "no"--I’m no medical expert. I’m just asking the...

"You got a pen?" I taught for 18 years and lost about a million pens. I was mystified--even before the Digital Age, no one thought they should bring a pen? Ever. Not even during exam season. "I have my pen." That sounds nicer than "No."  I always struggled to keep...

"You don't need to see my face to learn." That's what I said to kids who "disappeared" for long school absences. "We can do this remotely." I discovered something--with a little advanced thinking, remote teaching can work. In the beginning, I asked students to check...

Tampons--never discussed, but central to middle and high school life. Tampons are no joke, unless you're a middle school boy. Then, they're hilarious. I've seen boys take girls' purses and backpacks, wave them around, "You've got your period!" Many of high school...

"You need a fish." Tim the freshman plopped a Nalgene bottle with a goldfish on my desk.   I did not need a fish. I thought they were stupid. If you want to give me something, give me a dog, a cat, a snake, or some coffee.   But the creature was alive and looking at...

We are in the digital age. While we still haven't left the resume behind, we have entered an age of transparency where your social media tells a lot abouy you. Set it up for success. Done properly, this gives you an edge. Do it halfway, and it could come back to haunt...

"I want to be a teacher." "Good news," I told my boss. "I got into grad school... I'm going to need you to change my schedule." That's how I broke the news to my best boss ever,  that I was going to teach. I was 7 or 8 years into an insurance career. The company paid...