As a child I had a wicker basket full of toys, but it wasn’t until I saw Toy Story that I began to look at them as more than play things and as a basis for a personality. Andy had Woody so he loved cowboys, watched cowboy movies, wore cowboy hats, had a cowboy

Once a week I meet with a small group of teachers to observe a classroom. We gather around our principal who guides a few students through a learning activity. We take notes as we observe, then meet for a short debrief intended as an opportunity to learn from each other’s perspective. This, incidentally, doubles

There is a common misconception that teaching is difficult. It’s not. The act of teaching is actually incredibly simple: listen to what I say, write it down, and memorize. The challenge comes when I’m forced to stop what I’m saying to negotiate the release of a rubber band pulled taut by the amateur marksman

My bike was stolen and I got it back. You’d think a story like that would be evergreen, easily incorporated into any conversation. Turns out it’s not and I keep getting asked to “please stop.” So to be sure nothing is lost to the stifling and ungrateful, I will document exactly what happened. As

Sometimes (every night as I’m falling asleep) I think about what life would be like if I could sing. This fantasy contains a few key elements such as: becoming a bitch, putting up with both nothing and nobody ever, and burning most all of my bridges (friends and family, I don’t play favorites) to

I have become physically ailed and nobody cares: no thoughts, no prayers. After a bench press of nearly 10,000 pounds, a weight I can usually rep quite easily, I lacerated my tendons from my spinal column (I think). Now as I sit in this rigid state, with my back practically split in two, I