Oy. Today was the first day of state standards testing week in eighth grade. I spent the interlude before school started gathering the secured test booklets, answer sheets, directions, pencils, and familiarizing myself with the protocol. By the time I…
Week three into my ten-week gig in eighth grade English. I know all the kids’ names by now, even the quiet ones. This eliminates one of the toughest hurdles confronting a substitute teacher. Most classroom teachers request that subs enforce…
The question of our true nature hangs heavy in the air these days, even in our small town nestled in upper Napa Valley. For the remainder of the school year, I’m filling in at the…
How do we cope with evil on a grand scale? And as writers, how do we portray it in such a way as to offer our readers something worthwhile and illuminating? As adults in the 21st century, we have…