Ahhhhh, the favorite summertime activities y’all posted at “‘Eeee-zy’ First Friday Giveaway” sound relaxing, fun, and simply wonderful. Sleeping in, reading, spending time with family, shopping, sunning, traveling…fabulous! Y’all are so deserving! And now for the news you are waiting for—the winner of June’s First Friday Giveaway is Helena (comment 154) who is looking forward…
Ideas
What Day Is It?
When I taught, I couldn’t keep track of the days during summer vacation. Calendar time each morning during the school year is a vivid reminder of the current month, day, and year. So when you take away daily calendar time, I’m totally lost. I’m pretty good at keeping track of the days working in educational…
Father’s Day Card Idea!
My dad knows how to do everything. This was my opinion as a child, and it’s remained consistent throughout my adulthood. My parents came to visit two weekends ago, and my father installed my new vanity and bathroom light, making everything work out with my fussy and strange 1961 plumbing. Plumbing sticks out too far…
Make An Editor’s Day!
Are your ears burning? If they’re not, they should be! You know how the saying goes; if your ears burn someone is talkin’ about ya. And I’m here to report that you are being talked about in a really, really great way! You see the editors here at The Mailbox know you have the very…
Cool It
One piece of advice conveyed to me as a student in high school has never really helped. It went something like this: When in trouble When in doubt Run in circles Scream and shout. While my ability to confront and manage stressful situations has never found me resorting to this worrying piece of advice, my…
Perfection Is Boring
In The LEGO Movie, they sing that “everything is awesome” because, in the little brick world in which the movie begins, everything about life operates in such a way that even mistakes seem wonderful in the rare instances when they occur. And by rare, of course, they mean almost never. The real world in which…
I Miss My Hour
I woke up this morning, and it was pitch black outside. I have a tough time getting out of bed on the best of days, but the darkness felt extra cruel this morning because my body thought it was 5:30 instead of 6:30 am. (To be honest, I’m a night owl. I think the best…
Functional Dysfunction: Teacher Teams
We humans are difficult creatures. As a lifelong human and curmudgeon, there should be little surprise in me saying that. Still, despite my cynicism, I enjoy people. People are my favorite humans, and I have come to face the brutal fact that life requires being around other people. As a teacher, you face the same…
Recharging Dead Batteries
The world is a strange place indeed. One person’s morning pick-me-up is made of hot water filtered through finely ground, roasted (i.e. burnt) beans. Another person prefers hot water filtered through dried leaves. Still others crack open a can of carbon dioxide–infused water and corn syrup for their morning pick-me-up. I always smile when I…
What You May Have Missed
I’m on vacation for a few days, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your fill of Todd’s blogs. Just Who Do You Think You Are? – Tell us about your teaching style. Are you student centered or teacher centered? There’s no wrong answer. Rate Your Tech Savvy – Every teacher has to face new…