Text of the Letter to the Editor I sent in:
Americans are, and have right to be, a proud people. New Hampshire’s citizens may take this a little further than most, being one of the original colonies which launched this nation, and clinging to that heritage with its fiery state motto inscribed on every license plate. [...]
The unexpected continues to show up in the oddest places.
Marion Eckhard taught me math. Of course, I never called her Marion and until I walked into the Fairfield’s Dealership to get the oil on my car changed, I barely remembered her classroom. I didn’t much like math, and I adored my primary sixth grade teacher [...]
Slipped under my door this morning:
Dear Robert,
As you are probably aware, your lease runs out on 7/31/08. I am enclosing a lease addendum in the hopes that you decide to stay with us for another year.
You will note that the rent increase this year is higher than that in other years. This reflects a huge [...]
There are a few things that we hold to in life—things Nature so earnestly has taught us are lies, and yet everything eternal in us vehemently asserts their utter truth.
Parents should not out-live their children. It seems mete that those who teach the next generation should not see them buried.
I lost my first kid this [...]
In what very well may be a personal best, I sent a student back and forth for twenty rounds of feedback on a research paper this month. I think we were responsible for over half the wasted bandwidth on the internet to produce seven pages which really worked well and had all the sources where [...]
So there’s no real blog tonight. I have a portfolio¹ due for class tomorrow, and I’ve decided to go all out. Once I get it done, I think the 63+ pages of 11×17 inch paper will be highly impressive and earn that elusive “A”, but it does mean I need to do some typing tonight [...]
So there will not be a blog tonight—at least, not a real one.
I could point to the discussion at the Keene Sentinel’s talkback page about my letter to the editor and some of the comments there—nice to see support from the community.
But that’s not really anything major. The truth is, I had two people [...]
“I believe in getting into hot water; it keeps you clean.” – G. K. Chesterton
A friend sent me the above quote, with the comment, “Is this your blog, or what? ;)” I hope it is, and it’s with that thought I’m going to once again not talk about what schools and parents can do to [...]
Text of the letter I’ll send to the Keene Sentinel in response to Mr. Moriarty’s Letter. Comments are welcome.
Mr. Moriarty, in his letter of February 26, asked a great question: Wouldn’t I like raises forever?I very much would. Unfortunately, there’s no such thing, and there’s no such offering in the teacher’s contract he and his [...]
The message on my phone was short:
I want you to come back. I’m not learning anything!
Psalm 137:1.
I don’t know what road to choose, which path to take. Where is there more good—in making an island in a sea-system filled with other islands? Being a candle in the cave, or trying to work with a team [...]
So January 2, More Coffee, Please had its first birthday. I would have posted on the 2, but other things came up.
It’s been a busy year.
146 posts (give or take a few) of roughly 3000 words each—and this is all guess work—means that I’ve written 438,000 words—roughly two good sized novels. There’s been 160 comments [...]
So this is the end of 2007. As is customary, it seems a good time to think back and look at the year—especially since January 2, 2007 marked the first post on this blog.
When I started More Coffee, Please, I had vague ideas that it would help my writing—which is a joke. If anything, it’s [...]
Just as a reminder, there’s a school board meeting Wednesday, January 2 at 7pm at the high school. Usually they’re on a Tuesday, so this is a switch.
More importantly, Thursday, January 3rd at 6:30 the committee to set the default budget will be meeting at the high school.
In the event that the voters don’t [...]
December 19 saw four of our young men graduate—two who had done their work and waited in the wings for a month or so, and two just finishing. This was their “formal” graduation—that moment when they are recognized by the community. At MC2, a student will graduate a few times—there’s the graduation research project, which [...]
Merry Christmas, world. Not much of a post, but they’ll be one tomorrow.
Sometimes I just have to laugh.
Semi-formal was the other weekend, the first time in seven years I didn’t go. On one hand, I think I was grateful—I’m always ready to miss any unnecessary drama, and though one can’t be a high school teacher and not expect to run into crushed hearts, tears, and overly dramatic [...]
I feel bad for district elementary school teachers.
November 29th was the followup to the curriculum alignment meeting which started last spring. Once again, there was a host of teachers from every school in the MRSD. For their part, the elementary school teachers had taken the ideas previously discussed and had run with them, spending the [...]
…That kid that walked into a camera store four years ago and had a vague interest in photography—who became the best young photographer I’ve ever worked with…
…That brave soul who dared show up at a Pawprint meeting after school one day, instantly becoming part of a team…
…That eager, frantic adventurer who counted each day until [...]
The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing man that he didn’t exist.
Baudelaire said it, and it’s true enough. But sadly, it also pertains to the School District.
Mr. Neil Moriarty’s removal as budget committee chair is a win for schools. But let’s be honest—It’s probably mostly a win for the Budget Committee, as they [...]
So as I related earlier, I was asked the question, “why does nothing in education change?” I don’t have the answer, but fortunately, there are people much smarter than me who might.
Let me back up. I thought Seth Godin was a pretty smart fellow just from his blog. When every kid at MC2 starting [...]
