stupid rant 1

"Early one morning, a mother went in to wake up her child. "Wake up! It’s time to go to school!" "But why, Mom? I don’t want to go." "Give me two reasons why you don’t want to go." "Well, the kids hate me for one, and the teachers hate me, too!" "Oh, that’s no reason…

Glimmers of joy

"It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen." John Wooden Flicking through my previous posts, I realise that it sounds a bit like everything is falling apart. It kind of is, but there are moments of hope. And I guess I want to share some of the better moments... they…

Blood, sweat, but no tears

Blood, sweat and tears- the markers of a true challenge, and this week has knocked two off the list. Sweat didn't take long- the stifling heat of the classroom, coupled with the stress of having no control and the exertion needed to separate the ever-present fights in my classroom have led to copious amounts of…

teach me to be brave

"children of India, they teach me to be brave" John Schnur At InspirED last year, Jon Schnur, one of the keynote speakers, read a poem that he had written after his trip to India. This line struck a chord then, but has taken on a completely different meaning now. Whilst he learnt from the bravery…

Is surviving enough?

"Hold fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird That cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow." Langston Hughes At the end of day 1, these words seem ridiculous and out of reach, yet the most essential they ever have.…