It wasn’t long after I retired that a teacher friend, called to ask if I would substitute for him. My exact words announced my reception to the idea, “I would rather crawl through glass naked.”

Hello Somers, here’s another round of snippet

Introduction

Wake Up Call

The road to hell is often paved with good intentions. It is a rare occasion when an initiative generates the same results or anticipated outcomes when put into practice as it does in theory. From the heterogeneous classroom model to extreme standardized testing, many may agree that what often seems innovative and progressive in both thought and on paper doesn't always play out as anticipated in practice, especially when the impacted subjects are human beings. Perhaps the greatest example of "great in theory much to be desired in practice" is the dependency on technology by students with special needs, more specifically students with needs in the areas of social development, reciprocal communication and sensory/ motor development.Technology, specifically tablets and smartphones have opened up a world of possibilities for children who require more concrete and instant access to instructional and therapeutic materials. By replacing the computer mouse with the touch of a finger, a student who may have avoided using a computer due to sensory related issues may be more inclined to utilize technology providing them with an array of apps that are designed to support everything from communication based disorders to fine motor delays. Yes, the tablet and smartphone were/are the answer to every special education teacher, developmental therapist and parent/guardian of a child with special needs prayers. What could possibly go wrong?

Whenever I'm introduced to someone as 'an English teacher who pursues doctoral research on grammar', I invariably get one of two reactions:

Teachers lives turned upside down the day that Covid-19 lockdown hit the country. One day we are in school with our classes and the next day (with a blink of an eye) we are at home trying to figure out Virtual Learning. At the onset, we figured we would be out a week, maybe two. Little did we know that we would be saying goodbye to our students online three months later in June. For some teachers retiring this year it is an even harder task.

Dear class,

I watch the national news to observe events unfold in other places feeling safely cocooned living in our small isolated town, Kuna, Idaho. However, the violence in the news is beginning to impact my life, the life of my children, and my community.

During my A-levels, I had a AS Maths module that I was greatly struggling with. After a dispassionate attempt in my mock set a month before my real exam, I achieved a whopping 3/72 (That's a U grade, Unmarkable, if you're wondering) which I completely deserved since I had understood virtually nothing all year. I've always been excellent at Maths, but the teacher I had just didn't click with me and I consider myself a hard-working individual but for the first time, I was stumped. Something had to change, and fast.

Chapter 1

I can remember standing in my parent's basement smothered in wood panelling and orange shag carpet with a dry erase board and my second grade math homework. I can remember lining all of my stuffed bears and hippos and whatever else into a strategic seating chart so they could all see the board and I could walk around "the classroom" to ensure each student was on task. I assigned homework and stayed after school to plan for the next day or at least until dinner was ready. Teaching has been my dream since I was cognizant of the fact that a career was possible for me.