Category: Blog

  • Common-Courtesy Rules 2

    Pauline’s Soapbox “Good manners are made up of petty sacrifices.” ~ Emerson Going to a Rockies game recently has made adding to my Common-Courtesy Rules a necessity. There’s nothing like a huge crowd to inspire one of my soap-box lectures. Maybe I’m asking too much with some of these rules. Maybe expecting courteous behavior to…

  • Education Reformation: The Never-Give-Up Initiative

    Education Reformation Blog In my last education post I proposed a new movement in education: The Never Give Up, Even-after-Failure Option. Honestly, I don’t want to use the word “failure” in my option. Failure has negative connotations; telling children and parents that a child will fail at something will make everyone involved uncomfortable. Here is my…

  • The Alchemist: #3 The Obstacle of Love

    “If we have the courage to disinter dream, we are then faced by the second obstacle: love. We know what we want to do, but are afraid of hurting those around us by abandoning everything in order to pursue our dream. We do not realize that love is a further impetus, not something that will prevent…

  • Education Reformation: Introduction

    I am a firm believer in free education for all; however, there are many things about public education that I would change. Unfortunately, as a teacher in the system, I can only control my classroom. I choose to provide a firm foundation in literature, writing, and grammar to my freshmen classes. I build upon that foundation…

  • Positively—Scared

    I feel like a failure. I write about staying optimistic through whatever life throws at me, yet I’m scared of that very possibility. Ian recently had an MRI that came back clear, thankfully, but it was because of my fears that he had one last week instead of next month. Two nights in a row…

  • Blessing #12: Family Pets

    I’m still raw from the loss of Sadie, our beloved Boxer of 9 years. In the midst of my heartache this past weekend, I wondered why we would ever torture ourselves with the inevitable pain of losing, essentially, a furry child. The journey that I’ve been on the past six months, the one that made me…

  • Things I Want to Learn before I Go Out into the World

    With the summer upon us, we have great opportunities to help our children become more successful individuals. The trick is finding out what they really want to know. My Journalism students made this task a little easier for those of us who have teenagers, but many of these things can be taught at any age.…

  • How Do I Say Goodbye to a Faithful Friend?

    Sadie Hawkins has been my loyal friend for nine years. She comforted me when I was sad. She instinctively knew when I was hurting and offered her face or her back or her paw for me to pet. She gladly absorbed my pain; she just had to look at me with her big, brown eyes…

  • Things I learned in School That Will Help Me in Life

    Besides asking my students how they acquired the skills they needed to be successful, I wanted to know what my Journalism students learned in high school that they valued. What are the most important lessons that are preparing them for their futures? This list intrigued me as an educator. What skills must they learn in…

  • Things I Wish My Parents Taught Me, But Didn’t

    Of the four lists, this one intrigued me the most. We all want our children to have the best experiences in high school. We tell them to make friends, have fun, and learn a lot; but do we give them the tools they need to do this successfully? Are we surprised when they come home…