Worse than Cheating

The Teachers’ Lounge The idea that the rich, powerful and influential can buy their way into elite universities or anywhere else should not be a surprise to most people.

The Older I Get, the More I Think There’s Value in Talking About Those Taboo Issues—Like Grief

I was introduced to grief at a young age. Well, I thought I was sage and wise at the ripe old age of 20. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I experienced a loss that I never saw coming. And I sure never knew how it would affect me.

When Dina Met Codi

At a recent birthday party, I was introduced to the friend of a friend of a cousin. She is very young. She is strikingly pretty. She has breast cancer. I spoke to her for some time. I can’t get the conversation out of my head. It made me think about my life, not so very long ago, when I had cancer.

The Collapse of the Classroom

The Teachers’ Lounge Not long ago, a query to a teacher about his or her greatest concern in the classroom might have been a lack of supplies or something similarly benign.

The Older I Get, the More I Value Actual Communication

When I was 13, I won the school spelling bee at Forney Middle School and advanced to Kaufman County and then to the state competition. I was happy and proud and exciteduntil the cameras, bright lights and eyes of the judges at the WFAA studio were on me. I was terrified. I struck out on round 2.

The Purple Reign of Arnold Schwarzenecker

While children and television aren’t exciting subject matter, we do need to address this topic, just to lay some groundwork. From educational PBS programming to anime to classic Warner Brothers, and even the Disney empire, children’s programming has one thing in common with all parents.

Scary Tales

Are you a scaredy-cat? I am. I reason that everyone has an immobilizing, irrational fear of some sort. My cousin, for instance, hates bad weather, the sort that forces you into the hallway with a mattress. That’s not even irrational.

That Extra Mile

It is always refreshing when teachers or students do amazing things in education. Usually there’s a great accomplishment like a win at a robotics competition, acceptance to a great college or maybe a teacher was selected Teacher of the Year. Things like this are always great to celebrate.

The Older I Get, the More Okay I Am with My Laugh Lines

My mother-in-law Nicki likes to say, “Well, I don’t feel old ‘til I look in the mirror.” She’s 72 years young. An interesting slideshow plays out in my mind’s eye when I recount time spent as the captive audience of Mr. Mirror.

Laymen’s Corner

I have never been a King, or Prince. I have never been rich in this world’s goods, but since my Father, (GOD) owns the whole world, and I am one of His heirs. (Now, I don’t want to do any bragging), but the bible tells me that the least of His Children are filthy rich, (paraphrased).