I was asked recently about my favorite work of art and why it is my favorite. This one stumped me for a bit. If what they meant by "art" is painting, sculpture, and other such works, I don't really have a favorite. I went to the art museum with a friend once. That, for me, was an expensive way to realize that "art" in the traditional sense is not my thing.
I don't have any memories of the first part of the day; it started normally enough. Several of my coworkers and I decided to stay after school to use the weight room. It was January, and we'd made some resolutions that we were attempting to stick with.
I've not written much since we went back to school in the fall. Every time I do, I sit at my computer, stare at my keyboard, and realized just how mentally drained I am.
Before I write anything else, I want to be very clear. I'm not complaining.
Okay, maybe I am a little bit.
This week I lived through my 19th first day of school as a high school educator, and, except for my very first year, I don't ever remember being more anxious about the start of a year.
When our COVID lock down began in March, my wife and I wanted to create some sort of normality in the household for our sake, but especially for the kids. One of the daily routines that happened organically was our trip to the mailbox at around 3:00 every afternoon once my wife and I were done working from home for the day.
When I was eight years old, my parents took me to Disney World. One of the most memorable parts of that trip was getting stuck on the Carousel of Progress. (As I typed that sentence, the irony just smacked me in the face.) I freaked out. Not like a little scared. Like I was crying … Continue reading Progress
This morning, our high school had the first of two graduation ceremonies. Because the class is so large (around 1100 students) social distancing procedures required that graduation be split into two. Watching the first ceremony on the Internet this morning was surreal. The chairs spread out all over the football field so graduates were not … Continue reading Seniors
I graduated from the University of Texas twenty years ago today. I'm not sure how I feel about that. The word "old" comes to mind. My time in college was very pivotal for me. I changed more in those four years than I have during any other four year span of my life. And most … Continue reading 20 Years
I was reminded a couple of weeks ago by my principal how much of a perfectionist I am. Teaching from a distance and not being able to check up on all of my students has been very difficult for me to stomach. He reminded me that I'm doing the work, and that's all I can … Continue reading Perfectionist
Trying to look on the bright side of life here...One of the nice things about teaching high school from a distance is that I can really focus on the content and how I am delivering it. While recording my lessons, if I mess up, I can stop and do it over. I also don't have … Continue reading Dress Codes
Reflections Of A Middle Aged Nobody 