October - 2016

I spell "Absolut" with an "e," anyway: Escaping the School Leader's Dunk Tank

So, NCTE asks us on this National Day on Writing why we write #whyiwrite. I dunno. For lots of reasons. Not for money. Not for fame. Not for "glim and glam." I have none of those, anyway. It started out as healing for me and it continues as a healing for me, but in a different way now. First off, what do the following objects have in common? 1. Turkey baster 2. Tooth brush 3. Bowl of cereal The answer? Vodka. I used to baste my turkey with vodka, rinse my mouth with

Pencils without Erasers: The Scholarship of Making Mistakes and Screwing Up

Take a close look at this pencil: It is called the "Scholar" pencil and it really lives up to its name. What if pencils NEVER had erasers when they were being manufactured? Sometimes, teachers tell their students to purchase these: We don't need "Pink Pearls." Be bold: Go throw them out. Mistakes are the single most important facet of learning. There. I said it. It's true. We need mistakes. Hell, we need failures too. I mad tons of mistakes in my past. I'm probably