Atticus, Scout, and Harper were all on our baby name list. A proud parenting milestone came last summer when both Bird and Deal read To Kill A Mockingbird. Like so many others might say, it's the one book I can read over and over again without skimming. Bird read my tattered … [Read more...] about Harper Lee Lives On
Dirt and Noise
Snow Angels
Whenever it snows I'm taken back to the third grade in Roanoke, Virginia. I don't remember my teacher's name, but I can vividly recall the classroom. It was tucked in a corner so there were extra windows. We enjoyed glorious streams of sun and daydreamed as we stared out the … [Read more...] about Snow Angels
There’s No Badge for Being Busy
In my fancy corporate job there was the vice president who sent a cab to pick up her sick 10-year old daughter from school. Then there was the advertising agency owner who asked me if I really wanted to have this baby...when I was nine months pregnant. And I would be remiss … [Read more...] about There’s No Badge for Being Busy
A Republican Comment on a Democrat’s Blog
I have a friend from high school who doesn't often agree with me. Our lives and outlooks are oh so different. He lives in a rural area, while I live in the city. He's an outdoorsman. I don't hunt. He's a gun owner. I'm not. He's … [Read more...] about A Republican Comment on a Democrat’s Blog
NC Citizens — Help Remove Punitive Standard 6 From Teacher Evaluations
Nothing gets me testier than testing. As you might know, I served on the North Carolina Statewide Task Force for Summative Assessment. If you’ve ever proctored a high stakes EOG test, you’ll know what a dismal experience it is for students and teachers alike. My own … [Read more...] about NC Citizens — Help Remove Punitive Standard 6 From Teacher Evaluations
Snow Days Spark New Reverence for Teachers
We missed a couple days of school here in North Carolina. We had more ice than snow, and regardless how much Northern driving experience you have, there's no way you're getting around safely on a highway that's morphed into a skating rink. And so we hunker down. It's expected … [Read more...] about Snow Days Spark New Reverence for Teachers
Making A World of Difference, Starting in the Classroom
There's been a lot of chatter in the media about helicopter parenting and raising kids with empathy. It seems we have upon us a generation of entitled kids who don't know how to cope or feel or dare I say, behave. Mac Daddy and I have always believed we are raising adults, not … [Read more...] about Making A World of Difference, Starting in the Classroom