Archive for March 2015
Sequel Protection Service: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (The Millennium) series
So many times in my life, I’ve wished that I had avoided one or more of the sequels to a book or movie. Spoiling the beauty of an original story with a disappointing or (even worse) destructive sequel is a tragedy that should befall no human being. Thus behold: Matthew Dicks’ Sequel Protection Service. Having…
Read MoreA student wrote something that made me cry while reading it aloud. And thanks to the rules of my “Make your teacher cry” contest, my tears were caught on video.
For the past five years, I have offered a challenge to my fifth grade students: Write something that makes me cry. The contest was born from Sharon Creech’s Love That Dog, a book I once read to my students but no longer do because I always get weepy at the end. There is nothing wrong…
Read MoreOutdoors at last!
The snowpack is finally low enough to not swallow up our children, and temperatures have finally risen enough to not risk frostbite and hypothermia in our little ones. It’s been the winter of too much snow and subzero temperatures, which has forced us to remain indoors more than we would’ve liked. Finally, it’s time to…
Read More23 jobs I seriously considered at one point in my life (and still do with a few exceptions)
Firefighter Attorney Clown Postal carrier Professional arm wrestler Bartender High school English teacher Standup comedian Minister Historian Waiter President of the United States Librarian Sociologist Sportswriter Therapist Behavioral economist Bookstore owner Camp director College professor (creative writing) Financial analyst Inspirational speaker Professional poker player
Read MoreWhy do I blog? Because it’s nearly led to national television, and it still might. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
I’ve been blogging for over ten years now. Every single day for more than a decade, I have sat down and written something for a blog. Before this blog, there was another, and before that one, there was my first, born in a blogging class at Trinity College. I am often asked why I continue…
Read More12 Things Teachers Wish They Could Say to Parents
Parent-teacher conferences begin for me this week. I will sit down with parents and students and discuss academic progress, effort, behavior, and the students’ prospective futures in middle school and beyond. I like parent-teacher conferences. I have had excellent relationships with the vast majority of my parents over the years, and in some ways, the…
Read MoreOne of those moments when I’m happy that I’m over 40 years old.
50 Healthiest Foods of All Time: A large percentage are a mystery to me.
TIME lists the “50 Healthiest Foods of All Time.” I have never eaten 14 of them. I don’t actually know what nine of them are, but then again, do you know what kamut or farro or kefir are? The bad news is that I don’t like 31 of the foods on the list (presuming…
Read More19 things I heart right now
Better Call Saul (television show) Listening to my kindergarten daughter read to me Overcast (podcasting app) Chipotle burritos The Memory Palace (podcast) 1776 by David McCullough Tickling my children The Lyle Lovett Pandora station My wife in a tee shirt and underwear Cold water from a metallic water bottle Bruce Willis action films while on…
Read MoreA replica guillotine in the middle of a children’s museum?
The local children’s museum, Kid City, recently opened a new medieval room. It’s a fantastic exhibit that includes castle walls, towers, a crossbow range, a tavern, a brick factory, and what I can only assume is a bladeless guillotine: I am not opposed to the replica guillotine – in fact I kind of love…
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