The rapport between teacher and student is a sacred thing. It is hard won…over time. It cannot be rushed. It cannot be faked. It is trust that shows up time and time again, until mutual respect is achieved. Building rapport is something all great teachers do. It is an intangible skill that can’t exactly be … Continue reading Rapport
Education
A Tribute to Schools
While doing random errands yesterday, I came upon multiple school buses running their routes. Getting ready. Making sure they know where to go and how to get there. Bus running is not an easy task. You couldn’t pay me enough money to be a bus driver. A million? No thanks. School bus drivers are made … Continue reading A Tribute to Schools
Caught by Surprise
Our new book is gaining some traction and we have been invited to speak in different locations. Our first presentation was for a group of Parkinson’s patients and their caregivers. I was a bit nervous, but excited to get this book into the hands of caregivers who need it. I made the drive to Greenville … Continue reading Caught by Surprise
Apalachee
I have sat in a shadowy classroom, cowered in corners, and pasted on a smile, as if a shooter drill is no big deal. I have dried tears and assured scared children that I would not allow a shooter to get past me to get to them. During my career, shooter drills were not my … Continue reading Apalachee
John C. Campbell Folk School
In 1908, John Campbell and his wife Olive Dame packed their belongings in a covered wagon (the RV of their time) and began a road trip that would change a multitude of lives. They were on a fact-finding mission to increase the quality of life of the mountain people in Appalachia, but in order to … Continue reading John C. Campbell Folk School
Bonnie
I just learned that my friend Bonnie Petras died in July. This is my tribute to her. I first met Bonnie at my interview. I was looking for a teaching job in White County, and she was on the interview committee, which felt like more like an inquisition. I sat at the head of the … Continue reading Bonnie
My Last, Last Day of School
I would be remiss if I didn’t say I have been looking forward to this day for what seems to be a lifetime. I would also be lying if I said I was not sad about it. There is a bittersweet feeling which vacillates from day to day. Retirement is a big word. Something Americans … Continue reading My Last, Last Day of School
Juneteenth
"That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive … Continue reading Juneteenth
Retirement
They say cleanliness is next to godliness, but I have never believed that statement. My house looks lived in. There are piles of clutter, blankets of dust, and fur tumbleweeds. All those things make my house a home, at least that is what I tell myself. The closets are burgeoning with all the clutter piles … Continue reading Retirement
Pebble in My Shoe
There is a pebble in my shoe. With each step I wound myself. The pain travels into the sole and causes me to walk with a limp. Step. Hobble. Step. Hobble. It is beyond annoying. The bruises make me dread each footfall. Some steps are painless, as the stone moves to the side, but that … Continue reading Pebble in My Shoe
Michelle's Mosaic 