My brain has been rushing a lot lately - like, my thoughts are flying through my mind at such a fast speed that I can't really keep up with them. They are pretty random lately, too. More random than normal. For example, if I've done anything awkward or embarrassing or "wrong" to any of you, … Continue reading December 11: brain overload
high school
December 4: daily writing
Today I talked with my writing classes about the importance of daily writing - I shared the research, explained the reasoning, that sort of thing. I think I was better able to sell it because I've seen the benefits first hand by writing here everyday. I can sort my thoughts and feelings, I can figure … Continue reading December 4: daily writing
October 26: so many things on my mind
One thing about ADHD is that sometimes my mind is swirling with so many thoughts and ideas that it's impossible to keep them straight. At times like that, I kind of shut down and look for distractions for my mind: reading blogs, looking through twitter, playing a little iPhone game, listening to a podcast, laying … Continue reading October 26: so many things on my mind
October 25: Moment of Whoa
The Ancient Greeks had two words for time: chronos and kairos. Chronos refers to linear, sequential time; it's the root of chronological. Kairos refers to the right time for something, an opportunity. I like this idea. If you would have told me a little over a year ago that I would be teaching 7th graders … Continue reading October 25: Moment of Whoa
October 9: Little things, big impact
Today was overall a good day. I had some amazing conversations with my 7th graders about a story we read, and I finally got a kid who is clearly depressed (for lots of good reasons) to genuinely smile and laugh. I am having a good time with my Legends class learning about the "monomyth" and … Continue reading October 9: Little things, big impact
October 5: Whirlwind Year
This morning, a memory jumped up on Facebook: a year ago, I posted publicly that I had accepted a job at Roseville and would be leaving Forest Lake that month. It was the hardest decision I have made in my career. At that time, I believed it was the right choice and this year has … Continue reading October 5: Whirlwind Year
September 6: Will I survive the next 3 months?
Magic 8 Ball says... DOUBTFUL. The last two days have been so busy. I've kept it together, but I'm afraid I'm going to burn out and shut down sooner or later. Background: I'm teaching two classes at the middle school, then running out and driving across to the high school, taking about 20-30 minutes to … Continue reading September 6: Will I survive the next 3 months?
August 27: Back to School
I'm scared I'm already getting a cold. I'm not really sure what I'm doing with this whole "work at two schools" thing. Aside from that, though, today went pretty well I think. The back-to-school routine in Roseville is pretty different from Forest Lake in some major ways, and while I still miss some things about … Continue reading August 27: Back to School
July 30: THE SCHOOL DREAMS HAVE STARTED
They're HEEEEEEERRRREE! Two nights in a row now I've dreamed the back-to-school horror dreams. They usually don't start until mid-August but I am feeling extra anxious this year, so here we go! The first dream was especially weird. In it, I was back at Forest Lake and we were doing all the back-to-school stuff, and … Continue reading July 30: THE SCHOOL DREAMS HAVE STARTED
May 31: Graduation and This is America
Two things today. First, it was the last day for seniors at my new school. They made it, I made it. I learned so much from them this trimester and (at least they said) they learned more than they expected from me. Every one of my seniors passed my class, and they all earned it. … Continue reading May 31: Graduation and This is America
Adventures in Distraction 