“I have no talent.” (What to Do with Utterly Boring, Talentless Human Beings)
A story about a kid with no talent... We were doing a project—teams working away, except for two kids. One was playing video games in the corner because everyone knows teachers can’t see or hear you when you hide in the corner. The other wasn’t hiding so much as not...
Strategies for Surviving Halloween
You can survive Halloween with a few strategies. It's Halloween... a holiday only a new parent or teacher could love. It's ghoul, ghost and troll day all around the nation. Americans spend $9 billion on Halloween--over $80 a person. Most of that's candy eaten by your...
Grilled Cheese Even a Chef Will Eat
Grilled cheese should not be boring! Do this–open your cheese drawer, shred up whatever’s left, and match it to some add-ins, and you’ve got an amazing dinner. Add a bowl of soup to the side–especially soups you make and freeze ahead–and you’ve got a full-on gourmet...
How to Coupon The RIGHT Way
A coupon can make you insane… Done wrong, a coupon will turn anyone into an extreme raving lunatic, with shelves full of nonsense they wouldn’t buy in a million years. You’ll know every price in town and travel far and wide to get a sale. That was me. I had shelves...
Meal Planning 101
Meal planning will save you from this: It’s 5PM. I’m hungry. I don’t know what I want to eat so I go to the store. Or worse yet, I get “a little” takeout that turns into everyone piling on something until the bill comes to $50. Not that there’s anything wrong with...
Caprese: Italy’s Gift to the World
Caprese salad is an in-season blessing. If I could pick one gift from Italy, it would be this. You can keep your Renaissance paintings you just give me this salad. This is one of the few recipes where fresh is essential. You can make this with cheap mozzarella or out...
Bob Cratchit’s Guide to Budget Holiday Dinner (Save some cash, eat well)
Holiday dinner should be a time of sharing, not going into debt over dinner. There’s a magic day in March or April where the average American pays off Christmas debt. Don’t let holiday dinner be part of it. We host holiday dinner. I’m a vegetarian. I’m happy to give...
Why You Need A Digital Planner (Free template)
Do you have a digital lesson plan book? If not, read on. I have a stack of unused paper teacher books. You may, too--the green attendance "Roster" book, and the lesson plan book. I'm sad when I get them because I won't use them, and I've been getting them forever. ...
FREE Columbus Day Lessons…
FREE COLUMBUS DAY LESSON PLANS FOR YOUR LONG WEEKEND "1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue." That's the fact. Kids everywhere will come home with weekly readers discussing Columbus Day. I remember my son's when he was much younger. "Columbus met the Taino Indians."...
How to Survive on $350,000 a Year
I keep seeing versions of this MarketWatch article come across my feed. Take a quick look. It shows how difficult it is for this "middle class" family to live on $350K/year. $350,000 is approximately 4-10 years of the average teacher salary (depending on your job,...