Not long after graduation, way back when, I was talking to a friend’s dad about my job hunt, and he said, “Looking for a job is a soul destroying experience.” He said it in that way you’d say something serious but intended to be amusing, so I chuckled. I’ve since had ample opportunity to consider …
Continue reading “I Was Looking for a Job and Then I Found a Job”
It’s been a week since masks became optional at our school, and I want to record my impressions before things go back to normal – right? – and we forget all this. First, it felt improper to walk into school without a mask. The best approximation I can think of would be walking in barefoot. …
I go for a walk every day during 5th period, when my students are at lunch. I walk along the Mystic River for a bit, then turn back and return to school across the fields. I started this habit last year and now can’t do without. It’s especially important on the first three days of …
I like saltines a lot. I don’t keep them in the house because I’d go through sleeves in a sitting. I like Coca-Cola, too. I hardly ever drink it, in deference to my teeth and sublime physique, but whenever I do I think it’s tasty stuff. *** Years ago I heard an interview on …
…see, the premise is that Wiffle Ball Tony is like George Bush, you invite him to the party because you know he’s the guy who’s going to start the Wiffle Ball game. People generally like him and when he shows up everyone’s like, “Yeah, Wiffle Ball Tony’s here! It is so on!” And then one …
There’s a French term, le rhythme scolaire. Predictably, it’s more elegant than its English translation. I like it because it sounds like a dance or something. Also, it calls to mind circadian rhythm. Monday found me back in the classroom for the first time in six months. I’m back with a few other teachers, …
“There are some imaginary solutions, but no real solutions.” – Sal Khan I heard him say that a while back and thought “By George, he’s got it!” It was in a lesson on finding zeros of polynomials, but his conclusion does have a broader validity, no? If you too are stressed about the lack …
When I first started teaching, I received the gift of a plant for my classroom. It joined me from school to school, from Washington State to New York State to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Then, when my dad went into an old folks home, I moved it to his room, where, after a few months, …
