My niece, Ava, is graduated from eighth grade, and the other day she had her eighth-grade dance. Before the dance, a group of the kids gathered at the park for pictures. They were dressed up, laughing, posing, teasing one another a little, and standing in that strange and wonderful space between childhood and whatever […]
When Time Belongs to You Again Read More »
There is a particular kind of quiet that arrives after the school year ends, and if you have spent any time in a classroom, you probably know it well. It is not exactly silence. It is more like the sudden absence of all the sounds your body had been organizing itself around for
When Summer Begins, the Body Still Remembers the School Year Read More »
Kelli and I still enjoy going to happy hours with former teachers and colleagues. There is something comfortable about those gatherings — the easy laughter, the familiar stories, the way old connections seem to pick up right where they left off. And, as usually happens when teachers get together, the conversation eventually turns back to
The Strange Mix of Exhaustion and Gratitude in May Read More »
Series: This post is part of Policy in the Classroom. See the full series → What districts need to understand before more teachers walk away There is a certain kind of tired that arrives in schools this time of year. It is not ordinary tired. It is the tired that comes after months of
Teacher Retention Is Not a Mystery Read More »
Kelli and I are spending a little time at our place in Florida right now, catching our breath after the usual busyness of home—yes, still busy, even in retirement. The weather has been one of those gentle Florida stretches: sunny skies, the temperature settling comfortably in the mid-70s, just warm enough to make a walk
The Quiet Accounting Teachers Do in May Read More »
This past weekend Kelli and I made the five-hour drive to Pittsburgh to visit her son Scott, his wife Leigh, and most importantly, one of our granddaughters, Rosebud. It was the kind of visit that leaves your heart full in quiet ways. We spent long stretches simply being together — playing, talking, and watching
When Enough Is Actually Enough Read More »
Series: This post is part of Policy in the Classroom. See the full series → By mid-April the school year has a particular weight to it. The first rush of autumn energy is long gone, and the hopeful lift that often arrives with March sunlight has begun to settle into something quieter. Classrooms keep
When Burnout Becomes a Sustainability Crisis Read More »
The other night Kelli and I had the chance to attend the Mount Pleasant High School production of Mamma Mia. It was one of those evenings that leaves you smiling long after the curtain falls. The energy in the room was contagious—students singing, dancing, and clearly enjoying every minute of it. By the time the
What Teachers Need to Receive Read More »
The Difference Between Burnout and Being Worn There’s a particular kind of light that arrives in March. It doesn’t announce itself. It simply lingers a little longer in the morning and stays a little later in the evening. It slips through classroom windows and stretches across student desks as if to say, We’re still
What Reawakens in March Read More »
Series: This post is part of Policy in the Classroom. See the full series → Not long ago I happened to drive past my old high school around 4:30 in the afternoon. The student parking lot was empty, but the faculty lot still held a surprising number of cars. Seeing them there pulled me back
When the Extra Mile Became the Starting Line Read More »
