With October in its final days, I looked at my stats on WordPress and realized that I have not been posting often here. I have, however, been posting to my Medium page every day. It’s been a fairly good month there as far as views, reads, and comments go. As I did a couple of…
high schools
Graduation: It’s That Time of Year
May has always been a hard month for me. This year is no different. I think it’s because it is a time of transitions, endings, and beginnings, with old routines and comfortable schedules ending, and new patterns emerging – some of them far from home. Anticipation of the “next step” can be felt as early…
Slice of Life: Subjects of Substance
Lately, my posts have been pretty light. I’ve been thinking about why that is. Most likely it’s because I need to organize these posts before I write them. I need to find the facts to support my case. I need to be firm in my opinions and back them up. And, I just have not…
Slice of Life Tuesday: Tips for Student Success from a Mom with Distance Learning Experience
Today, the school year kicks off in our local communities here in the Coulee Region of Wisconsin. Most, not all, are entering this year on a virtual platform as opposed to in-person, classroom learning. While the majority of students were exposed to an online learning environment last spring, it was brief if you consider how…
An Unpublished Post on Life During the First Month of COVID-19
It’s Easter Sunday, April 12th 2020. We’ve been relegated to our homes for schooling since March 16th. The Governor of Wisconsin, Tony Evers, proclaimed a Safer at Home Order on March 23rd, to last at least until April 26th of 2020. Did I mention it’s April 12th? It’s been a month and we still have…
Slice of Life Tuesday: Making Graduation Week Happy Instead of Hard
Sunday was a gray, overcast day and as it went on, my mood soured. I attributed this change in my emotions to the weather until I went on an errand late in the day. A father, presumably of a 2020 graduate in a neighboring town was in front of me in line at the fabric…
The “F” List
We have to learn to allow for mistakes. During this time of the COVID 19 pandemic, we’ve seen teachers quickly change gears from one learning platform to another. Students had to follow suit, just as quickly, as classes went from in-person to screens over the course of a weekend. But, are we allowing for mistakes? …
Insomnia: All is not Right with the World!
At 3:30 a.m., I arose from my bed after lying there for over an hour, not sleeping. Nights are sometimes hard for me. I go to bed and my mind refuses to shut down. Or, it shuts down for a short time and then ramps back up again as bothersome issues rise to the surface…
Slice of Life Tuesday: The Benefits of Distance Learning
Why would a student or family CHOOSE to learn or take classes digitally? The answer is easy – because there are benefits for students that exist on this learning platform! In the late winter of 2011, our family made the researched and conscious decision to allow our oldest son to finish high school online through…
Learning Digitally, #SOL Day 28/Year 3
Recent weeks have been especially hard on educators as teaching and learning took on a new form. Digital learning. Online classes. E-Learning. There are many names for it. As I’ve discussed before, distance learning – yet another name, is not something new to our home, my sons, or me. So, personally, we are doing well….