Writer in Progress

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How can this be?

Today voters are praising the return to freedom, patriotism, and “American values”. Voters are posting cheers and hoorays to their social media accounts. Voters are relieved that the person they voted for won instead of the person they believe will destroy democracy. Then there are people crying in fear and disbelief and shame. People who cannot leave their homes because they cannot face any…

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Since when has an academic version been so snarky? 😂🤣 I mean I think this, I say this… this copy of #romeoandjuliet is #stealingmythunder but only if the students bother to read the comments. Time to see what they thought of the movie & close read certain scenes. #teachingshakespeare #shakespeare #teachersofinstagram #teacherlife #writersofinstagram #readersofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CYtjqLolVPa/?utm_medium=tumblr

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Never have I ever received such love on the first day of the new semester. A student gave me little #starwarstoys bc he ‘thought I’d like them’ & another student gave me a hug. When I asked what it was for he said it was bc he missed me. 💚😁🤯 This semester will be challenging & these students will drive me mad, but I just need to remember moments like this. Hence my Instagram Posts. #teachersofinstagram #teachergifts #teacherlife #teacherpride #teacherlove #writersofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bloggersofinstagram #happynewyear2022 (at Cactus Shadows High School) https://www.instagram.com/p/CYSHwC3vms5/?utm_medium=tumblr

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We’re back. Yes, I showed up! 😁😴💚#secondsemesterbegins #2022schoolyear #teachersofinstagram #writersofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bloggerofinstagram (at Cactus Shadows High School) https://www.instagram.com/p/CYRPKE7r6rk/?utm_medium=tumblr

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What I Should Have Said 4 Years Ago

What I Should Have Said 4 Years Ago

When you died, words failed me that day. Words failed me for many days after that. So when your memorial service came, I felt it was my duty to speak. I knew you best. I knew what no one else did, but I also thought this would be my chance to say what I had not said before. I wrote several drafts before coming up with my speech on the spot. Afterwards, it became clear I had talked too long and I…

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Quarantined Students x Quarantined Teachers (Post #4 in the "TEACHING PAN-ACA-DEMICS" series)

Quarantined Students x Quarantined Teachers (Post #4 in the “TEACHING PAN-ACA-DEMICS” series)

Teaching high school is difficult no matter what else is going on. Going to high school is difficult no matter what else is going on. But imagine you don’t know how many students you’ll have from day to day. Imagine you don’t know how long your teacher will last? This year I started my classes with 30-35 students, but there were days when I had half that in a class. When a sport or large club…

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Two Million, One Hundred and Two Thousand, Four Hundred Minutes

Four years later. 2, 102, 400 minutes later. Still trying to pick up the pieces. I'm learning to live in a post-mom world. And it clearly takes more than four years.

2, 102, 400 minutes. That is how long you’ve been gone. Why would I know that number? I didn’t. But I know the lyrics to your favorite song, “Seasons of Love”, In five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes. How do you measure a year in a life? Today is the fourth anniversary of when I woke up at 4:16 am to that song. And though I could describe that feeling again, I think the poem I…

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Transitioning from Screens to Masks, AKA, The Lesser of Two Evils: Post #2 in the "TEACHING PAN-ACA-DEMICS" Series

Transitioning from Screens to Masks, AKA, The Lesser of Two Evils: Post #2 in the “TEACHING PAN-ACA-DEMICS” Series

I met my students six weeks after I started teaching them. We decided to scrap the first six weeks. We both severely missed being in the classroom. We both knew that we had not been our best selves while online. So we wiped the slate clean and started fresh. Funny, since students mostly hate coming to class, but it was clear they could not wait to sit in class. Not to learn, but to socialize…

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Online Learning is a Love/Hate Relationship: Post #1 in the "TEACHING PAN-ACA-DEMICS" series.

Online Learning is a Love/Hate Relationship: Post #1 in the “TEACHING PAN-ACA-DEMICS” series.

Here is the first post in the highs and lows of this past year, in a series I am calling: “Teaching Pan-aca-demics”, series #2 in my TRUTH IN TEACHING COLLECTION. Technology makes me feel old. But it is more of our reliance on technology that shows my age. I have often found myself starting stories of my high school experience with “When I was your age…” and explaining the lack of tech, instant…

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Almost forgot what today was, but I’ll never forget you. Been 15 years since I celebrated a #fathersday 11 years since our last conversation & almost 8 years since you died. Celebrated the only way I know how: ate a meal of steak, mashed potatoes, & corn while watching #firefly Wrote that poem several years ago while I was in one of my dark places trying to crawl free. Still not free from the thoughts & feelings, likely will never be over how we went from the best of friends to complete strangers. The anger is gone, the regret is dwindling & transforming into acceptance, but the sadness remains. Your love of #scifi #technology #darkhumor #bowling #inappropriatejokes #superheroes #peanutbutter #games #green #westerns #reading #movies & making people comfortable with your easy-going personality live on. Promise. #lifechoices #missingdad #griefjourney #daughterlove #memorylane #readersofinstagram #writersofinstagram #teachersofinstagram #bloggersofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CQXTXMoHJrb/?utm_medium=tumblr

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2 Shows That Couldn't Be More Different, But Both Are Timeless Classics To Me (Brought on by the HBO's FRIENDS reunion and The West Wing special)

2 Shows That Couldn’t Be More Different, But Both Are Timeless Classics To Me (Brought on by the HBO’s FRIENDS reunion and The West Wing special)

Recently I signed up for HBO Max for the sole reason of watching the FRIENDS reunion. While I enjoy my free trial, I browsed to see what other HBO gems exist that I need to watch before I can’t. I found a West Wing special from 2020 that was a stage production of an election episode. The entire cast reunited on stage to act out an episode about the importance of voting and being educated as a way…

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10 Years and Still Going Strong...Well...Sort of...It's Debatable...

10 Years and Still Going Strong…Well…Sort of…It’s Debatable…

I’M BACK! I know it’s been almost a year since I posted anything. It would seem that I take forever to post anything, but as Treebeard says, “never say anything unless it takes a long time to say.” I know, it’s out of context, but the message rings true. However, I feel that I must warn you. This is not going to be a Treebeard-worthy post that shows why I took a year to write it. This is the…

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With #graduation approaching, I am taking a #walkdownmemorylane with my 2nd set of freshmen who are now almost done with senior year. Stop #1: The Story Behind the Slinky Ball. This is for you, @_tristen_ & @ryan_.denaro bc you made it & here is why you didn’t get in trouble & why I have kept it all these years. Even got a giant slinky gift from my 2nd set of seniors! #teachersofinstagram #teacherlife #englishteacher #highschoolteacher #proudteacher #slinkies #storytime #teacherstories #grief #missingmom https://www.instagram.com/p/CO3UQA2HO52/?igshid=vwp1ahza340d

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I was quarantined on Th 1/8 & told I could return on F 1/15. I chose to take that day off to work from home, get the covid vaccine dose #1, & prepare to return the following week. I’ve been back 2 days & today I got called again. If I had been at work last Friday then I would be quarantined again...after 2 days! I was almost stuck at home again, but this time I would have been unpaid. Good thing we were told that we can now return if we are not sick and our quarantine days are less, if we are comfortable returning...Seriously? Can you say ‘tempting fate’? #teachersofinstagram #teacherlife #teachertroubles #quaranteaching #englishteacher #englishteachersofinstagram #highschoolteacher #teachinginapandemic #livingontheedge #wtfisgoingon https://www.instagram.com/p/CKSYkm0H2MA/?igshid=1o7jh85c5t4th

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Bookmark Stories #blogpost #9 talks about movie/show adaptations from a #booklover perspective. I love this bookmark so much because it is so me! Read the full blog post for mini reviews of several stories (link in bio). #bloggersofinstagram #writersofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #harrypotter #mortalinstruments #thehobbit #ellaenchanted #beowulf #doriangray #papertowns #frankenstein #insurgent #percyjackson https://www.instagram.com/p/CCjpcgsnRAU/?igshid=9rm277g7rarf

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Bookmark Stories Post #9: "Never Judge A Book By Its Movie"

Bookmark Stories Post #9: “Never Judge A Book By Its Movie”

I don’t go into a movie or show thinking I’m purposefully going to hate it because the book is automatically better. I go into a movie or show of a book I like and wonder what creative changes they chose. If overall, the adaptation is good I’m fine, but if there are significant changes that truly change the overall tone, plot, theme, or character-arch of the story…then, of course, I’m going to go…

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The 8th ‘Bookmark Stories’ #blogpost talks about my love of #personalizedbooksforkids & my love of #petesdragon by sharing the book my grandma gave me when I was 5. A personalized story creates a reader who finds personal connections with each book they read. Everyone deserves their own book, if they love to read. (Check out full post on blog, link in bio). #bookstagram #readersofinstagram #bloggersofinstagram #writersofinstagram #teachersofinstagram #dragons https://www.instagram.com/p/CCSSLefn9LJ/?igshid=s4ie9y979291