This might be a good time to grab a phone or camera. The Texas Star and Pink Evening Primrose and Mealy Blue Sage and Salvia Greggii and the last vestiges of the Giant Spiderwort blossoms are dancing in the breeze. The Nuthatches and Wrens and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are singing in the trees. It has warmed […]
Yearly Archives: 2024
Guy/Girl
Thu, 11 Apr 2024, 12:11 PM (-06:00)
She wasn’t in class for the test on Thursday. When I saw her next, she had a sheepish look on her face. She knew what I was thinking. And I knew that she knew. “You missed the test last week.” “I had an assignment for another class.” “Oh, I see how it is,” I said […]
Total Eclipse
Mon, 8 Apr 2024, 01:39 PM (-06:00)
Izzy was the first to notice the growing darkness. She came out from under the bushes where she had been investigating some shenanigans. She looked up and asked to be held. The Wrens started singing their evening song. And then with only moments to go, the clouds grew thick, and we could no longer see […]
Number Sense
Sun, 7 Apr 2024, 08:45 AM (-06:00)
They sat in arrayed desks, a few moving when asked to make sure they were not sitting next to anyone from their school. They had pencils and pens in front of them and nothing else. I passed out a folded sheet of paper. The proctor told them not to unfold it until the competition began. He […]
A Calculus Side Hustle
Tue, 2 Apr 2024, 07:26 PM (-06:00)
1. It was the beginning of seventh period. The tardy bell was about to ring. Reginald came into the room. What was he doing here? He’s in second period. “Hi Reginald. What’s up?” “Well… what do you have for me today?” He had a smirk on his face that stayed glued there. 2. Reginald is […]
Student Work
Fri, 29 Mar 2024, 09:20 AM (-06:00)
Arly is a good artist. She comes into the room with amazing work. She usually works with a blue pen, drawing cross-hatch sketches of eyes and faces and renditions of people that any of us would frame and put on the wall. She keeps them in a notebook. “Will you draw me one some day?” […]
Take a Break
Fri, 29 Mar 2024, 09:01 AM (-06:00)
“Mister,” she asked. “Can I go to the bathroom?” “Sure,” I said. “Sign out. I’ll write you a pass.” The students were working on a radical expressions worksheet that day. The room was quiet (which means that this wasn’t third period — the bane of my schedule this year). When she knocked at the door […]
Doubly Old
Thu, 28 Mar 2024, 02:09 PM (-06:00)
“Mister,” she asked after she finished the test. “Can I use your charger?” When they ask this, I say to hook their phones to the cable that’s plugged into my laptop. The unspoken implication is that they have to leave their phones on my desk — far from where they sit. After they squirm for […]