About this Blog
a Teach For America teacher’s blog
Prompt: Everyone needs help sometimes. Write an essay about a time when you helped someone.
From the boy who gives me a hug when he enters and leaves my room every single day:
People now a days may be inhumane, but as for me I enjoy letting people think of me as a nice and respectful young lad. I suspect that many people of humanity think doing great things is boring, but I have come up with many ideas when people has needed help. To me, helping elders to children has been a pleasure and with my heart I have wanted to do it forever.
Now that I’ve told you my reason, let’s skip to the story of a time when I had wanted to ehlp a man at a carehome feel spcial. It was a bright and shimmering morning at Sunnyville Care home in Saint Louis, MO. I had met a…
I am in awe of you. Sitting in Jobe Auditorium on Saturday, Sally and I stared at each other. Sally, who I met on day one of institute, who talked to me about God and the ex-boyfriend and teaching, who went on runs with me in the 90 degree heat. Who just got married and…
read more »One of the Delta experiences I shared with my sister this weekend was the ball game. My student Jack asked me every day for a week (literally) if I would come watch his game Friday at seven. By the end of the week, and countless requests for my attendance, our conversations were along the lines…
read more »You know, I have two full weeks left with my kids, not even. Wednesday I have release time in the morning to plan for next year (seriously! Thank you, Dumas!) Friday my sister is coming to visit. Please understand: Friday my sister is coming to visit. Not sure if I ever posted about the crying…
read more »This morning I woke up after four hours of sleep, awake. I’m rarely awake when I wake up, but I was practically laughing. Five am, I’m clicking away, putting in grades, thinking about my lacking lesson plans. Antsy from the weekend, I emailed my sisters about my anxiety then hopped into my running shoes. 5k…
read more »Our talent show rehearsal officially ended twenty-one minutes ago, but I’m still sitting on the curb of my school’s front walkway, waiting for parents. My twelve-year-olds are losing their little kid chub, talking grown, picking up each other’s mannerisms and staying two hours after school to work on their singing, dancing, drumming, and laughing. I…
read more »Just as everyone was giving me props for updating so regularly (self included), I stopped. Something hit and I found a wall, found interest in running again, got busy. Again I’ll just give tidbits. My heart about exploded when, one morning during silent reading, I dismissed Brax’s group to use their cubbies and Brax was…
read more »My classroom copy of Holes doesn’t have a cover. The pages are crinkled, and the spine is masking taped together. I gave it to Brax when he told me he didn’t like The Hunger Games as much as he expected. Every morning, every afternoon, the first student silent reading: Brax. The first to quietly take…
read more »This week is state testing. I’m going to be real honest here: I don’t care about state testing. I realize only when saying it that I don’t mean it in the way it would immediately be interpreted. I would expect to mean it in that way, but I don’t. What I mean is I am…
read more »One. A week or two ago, my vice principal knocked on my door in the middle of fourth period. I set my kids to independent work and scooted out the door for an impromptu hallway meeting. He stood with our director of special ed, who was holding a thick packet of paperwork. “This won’t take…
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