Along the lines of a conversation I had online with some friends, today I implemented what I hope will be a new tradition in our house. Rather than fighting to get my older son to vaguely tell me about his day, I have five questions I think every family should consider answering at the dinner table.

What made you happy today?
What did you learn today?
What did you do to help someone today?
What was your favorite moment of the day?
What was the biggest problem you had today and how did you solve it?

» Continue reading “Roses and Thorns”

Only there’s no beer, no ping pong, no passed out sorority chicks, and no fun. What do we have? A riot of vomit all over my fucking house.

AUGH!

All winter we’ve been assaulted by a myriad of stomach viruses; it has been a plague to which no one has been immune. Tonight, it started with the tank telling me he spent recess in the nurse’s office because he had a tummy ache. Then at dinner, he refused sweet potatoes, chicken, and green beans. I told him if he wanted more white potatoes he had to eat three green beans for me.

» Continue reading “Like a Frat House Beer Pong Tournament”

When I first read the headline for this article, I assumed they were clicker training these kids.

In Search Of Answers, Teachers Turn To Clickers

Now, I think this idea is a better one than my idea for clicker training. A lot of classroom participation is hindered by issues with confidence. Providing a way for students to posit an opinion or respond to a question, removing the judgment from the process, and providing an anonymous way to navigate a classroom of people with different abilities is a great, non-confrontational way to increase participation, improve student comprehension, and build student confidence. The process is both real-time and offline, allowing teachers a way to direct their attention to the subject areas requiring the most clarity for the class as well as direct their attention to specific areas where individual students are struggling. It cuts through the guess work to pinpoint areas that need improvement and does so in a way that is immediate and valuable. This idea is particularly appropriate, given the prevalence of the use of handheld devices and video games in this generation. By including a connection between hands and heads, this teaching method is instantly more engaging.

» Continue reading “Signs You Spend Too Much Time with Your Dogs and Dog Friends”

I remember my father driving in the car, fumbling with the lyrics to an untold number of songs. I have been known on occasion to do the same, though usually late at night when I am driving, no one else is awake or riding with me, and I am trying to stay awake. It appears that my son, the tank, has inherited this predisposition as well, though amplified a million times over because of his astounding lack of vocabulary.

» Continue reading “Chronic Lyricosis”

My kid got sent home sick for coughing. Ok kid, what are you doing home? You’re healthier than I am but I have a lot more shit to do today than you do. I can already anticipate the phone call from my boss where my son barrels into the office and loudly proclaims that poop is stuck in his bottom, or something equally as savory. The kicker? He hasn’t coughed more than twice since he’s been home. He HAS, however, managed to:

» Continue reading “What are you doing home?”