Month: May 2014

Dear Teacher: End of the year letters to high school teachers

Dear Teacher: End of the year letters to high school teachers 

Dear Mr. M,

My son will be starting college in the fall as an Environmental Science Major with a Minor in Art. Over the past 2 years you’ve shown him the connection between the world of science and that of art. Not just that, you’ve also shown him that through science and humanity all things are possible, all things inspire, all things are important – as long as it is based on truth and knowledge and understanding. You showed your students that being curious is a good thing. You opened up worlds full of possibilities mixed in with those cold hard facts and formulas that they must learn (or else.) You’ve made a difference, not just for my son but for hundreds of teens. They will change the world – and that is a good thing. Thank you.

 

Dear Ms K,

All year long I had to hear my daughter complain about you and about your class. Every evening she would describe the Bedlam type conditions in a room full of insane psychopaths and deviants and sex fiends. And there you were trying to be warden for these kids. Yes, there were a handful who wanted to be there and wanted to learn. Their grades might not reflect the fact that they did learn. At the same time my daughter was complaining about you and your curriculum she was also bringing up topics for discussion such as the comparison of presidential speeches. She talked about the books she claimed to hate reading (you have very different tastes.) The more she talked about you the more I told her that you were an amazing woman for teaching that class full of horrible monsters every single day. And you got through to kids. They don’t know that yet.One of my most popular blog posts was written about you. It was called Thank You For Pissing Off My Teenage Daughter. I could have emailed it to you but I thought it was better not to. You might have taken it the wrong way. But that said, thank you for staying in the battle and for educating your students – even the monsters.

Click on the link for the rest of the letters via Dear Teacher: End of the year letters to high school teachers.

 

Rallying for Rarasaur.

Thanks Randall for pretty much saying it all.

Please read and click on the links below.

Rallying for Rarasaur.The original Rarasaur mascot says hi!Once upon a time, there was a happy, prolific blogger named Rara, read and loved by many. In her time on WordPress she’s been a font of creativity, effervescence, community spirit, encouragement, whimsy, thoughtfulness, and simple ways of pulling out of downward spirals. She’s ben featured on WordPress’ Freshly Pressed main stage more than once. She’s been a frequent guest contributor on other sites, from relative unknowns to the official site for The Queen Latifah Show.Full disclosure: I’m a follower. We’ve exchanged comments back and forth on each other’s sites and shared geek thoughts and sensibilities. Many, many other folks in the WordPress community could say the same and have better, more inspirational stories to tell. She’s respected and cheerily infectious that way.And then one dreadful day she saw coming, The MAN sent Rara to jail.What we know of the full story is better told through a links collection, assuming you’re not among her regular readers and well aware of all that’s happened. Starting at square one, then:It all began with Rarasaur, the blog that’s pretty much herself personified. The column on the right side of her site will give you a beginning idea of how her mind works, but the best way to leap in is her “Random Post” button at the bottom of that column. Pound on that a dozen or so times and watch amazing free samples whir past you. Whatever pops up will give you glimmers into her pizzazz and her peaceful ways.Life in RaraLand took a sharp turn for the worse earlier this month with “I Didn’t Go to Jail Yesterday, and Other Notes“, in which she revealed to her readers that she might not be writing so much for a while. The short version: a former employer upgraded their issues with her from simple, detestable harassment to scurrilous implications in some kind of unconscionable embezzlement scheme. The full story is not yet ours to know, but her diplomatic sketching of the deplorable situation was nonetheless quite the cause for an unhealthy mixture of sorrow and rage.The next day brought her farewell address to her readers, posted in absentia by her husband at the point when her physical freedom ended for the time being. Grayson now has the keys to her site (in addition to his own online space, not to mention their joint art projects) and has kept friends and fans updated ever since, beginning with his telling of the events of that day. Most important piece of that particular entry: he provides the address where you can send correspondence to her. Wish her well, brighten her day, and return the favor of any and every smile she ever brought to your face.(Bear in mind we’re talking classic postal service, requiring paper and tools that leave marks on paper, not a Gmail box. If you need help, please consult the instruction manual I once wrote for how envelopes work. Long story.)The situation may be grim and the odds are against her, but not all is darkness and doom. Several friends have launched a Rarasaur tribute site to share the

via Rallying for Rarasaur..

 

A Letter from Jail

Please read. This is from Rara. You might have read her blog. I think just about everyone has read her blog filled with wonders and joy and thoughtful essays on life. She was unjustly accused of a crime and she turned herself in. The blogging community keeps her in our hearts. There is also a fund to support her and help her while in jail. Read her letters. She is remarkable.

A LETTER FROM JAILThe following are scanned images of a letter I received from Rara.  The originals were in light pencil and have been altered for contrast and readability.  Click in the image to see it in full size.

via A Letter from Jail.

 

Graduation Commencement Speech #2 – Think Like Your Mom

Graduation Commencement Speech #2 – Think Like Your Mom

You’ll be leaving home soon to make your way in the big wide world. One thing to remember is your mom. Never forget your mom. All of my advice to you comes from mom. So here we go…

Think like a mom. It could be your mom, or the mom you wished you had. Moms know everything, or at least the good ones do.

Love like a mom, because nobody can love like that.

Trouble shoot like a mom. With a butter knife and a roll of duct tape the average mom can fix anything. With a kiss she can fix everything.

Multitask like a mom. Your mom is the ultimate in management. Think about it – she has 1 or more children, a husband and maybe other relatives to deal with. Mix in work, feeding everyone, managing the house, pets (they take up a lot of time), volunteer work, driving everyone to hell and back… and add about 34,000 other things to this list. If you can multitask like your mom you can do anything.

Laugh like a mom. I laugh so hard I cry and my sides hurt. That is what moms do.

Find joy in small things like a mom. Every wonder why your mom takes time to point out bats in the night sky or worms in the ground? And you thought it was for you…

Fight like a mom. No Army General can defend his fort like a mom will defend her children.

Your mom always tells you “Don’t give up.” Well she was right. She will always be right. Never give up. Don’t give up hope or trust or peace of mind. Don’t give up your will to survive. Don’t give up your desires or your dreams. Don’t give up when doors slam in your face. Don’t give up when everything around you caves in, because it will and you’ll have to deal with it. And you can deal with it. Your mom gave you the tools you need to survive and thrive.

So don’t forget mom. One day your own kids will thank you for it.