Two dead ends, and you still have to choose? — The time I dread is quickly coming around once again: Election Day. In just a little over 13 months, Americans from all over the world will cast their ballots for the person who will occupy the White House, set national policy, appoint judges, and oversee the military for the next…

What I Did This Summer — When I was a student in grade school and high school, almost predictably one of the first assignments we were given was to write an essay titled “What I Did This Summer.” Sometimes we were even made to read them aloud in class. The kids who went someplace cool saw…

It’s time to clear the air — There is something I need to get off my chest. It’s been vexing me for a few days now, and it’s time to clear things up. Please know that I would only share something like this with my closest friends and casual acquaintances. Don’t think less of me, but…… I…

How well-meaning people guide seniors into helplessness and incompetence — Yesterday on my way to my part-time job at the home improvement store I work at, I came to a section of road where it was limited to one lane that ran east due to a large construction project. The westbound lane was completely closed, so people wanting to travel…

The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step — On May 26th, I shut the door to my classroom for the last time. I took one final look around before shutting the door. When the door closed, I checked to make sure it was locked. In my small bag, I carried the few personal belongings that had been in…

The fictional teacher-heroes with feet of clay — In a previous piece titled The Problem with Teachers in Movies, I discussed how two teachers in real life were elevated to superstar status, even though their actions and methods were fairly commonplace. In Part 2, I will expose the fatal flaws in two of the most popular fictional teachers…

He is the new kid on the block — If you have been following the 2024 presidential election or watched the first debate among the Republican contenders, you no doubt have seen and heard Vivek Ramaswamy. He is the fresh new face in the race for the GOP nomination and stands in stark contrast to the rest of the…

The case against semi-fictional education heroes — There have been a lot of movies about teachers over the years. I think the first one I ever saw was “To Sir With Love” with Sidney Poitier, which was more about race and racism than about teaching. Still, it was a good film and Portier played the role well. …

Why you should believe in yourself and not stop writing — I have read a lot of laments recently from people who call themselves “professional writers.” Many of these people complain that writing platforms are being infiltrated by people who are either not very good at writing, or who are using these platforms just to promote their business. I don’t disagree…