Parts of Speech

I am not a poet. But, it is my particular curse to see most everything as a metaphor. […]

Charlie

Born to teach, Charlie Martin (1947-2018) ∞∞∞∞∞ “You don’t know shit!” At one point or another, what teacher […]

“Forest” learning stems from large wonderings. “Leaf” education focuses a school’s curriculum on the leaves while (unintentionally) disregarding […]

“Large fish in small bowls…” was how she put it. A junior in a creative writing course, she […]

“Write the book, will ya!” For a while now, many colleagues and friends have urged me to write […]

…we have had it all wrong? To start, what if we rightly assumed that America’s vitality necessitates a […]

Sometimes, human stories that are spoken and recorded, then edited and aired, can illuminate more than written stories, […]

Ghosts? Really now? I am way too rational to believe in that stuff. Proof is necessary if I’m […]

To be perfectly clear, public school teachers need the unifying protection and collective bargaining of unions, history has […]

This post represents a departure from this blog’s usual style. With due reason. This post illuminates a spot-on […]

“Do you think it would be okay if I wore my earring?” I whispered. Arching an eyebrow, he […]

She scrunches her eyes at nothing in particular. Two more tears, one to each cheek, roll slowly. I […]

Teachers are always stealing. Teachers steal one another’s ideas, strategies, projects — sometimes even elements of one another’s […]

Going through an elementary school’s Lost and Found at the end of a school year can be like an archaeological dig. […]

“I have made the tough decisions, always with an eye toward the bottom line. Perhaps it’s time America […]