Learning to Ride He’s seven, reluctant to ride independently, most of his classmates far ahead on two wheels, which has not been a problem for him, so he says. No, I’m scared, he has said. No, I like the scooter better, he has said. I will never ride a bike, he has said. Never, heContinue reading “#48: Learning to Ride”
Author Archives: michaeljarmer
#47: Letting the Lawn Brown Out
Letting the Lawn Brown Out Otherwise, it would cost a small fortune for all the water it would take to keep it green, and who’s to say that somehow green is prettier than brown? It’s softer, yeah, sure, but I’m not a barefoot kind of guy so I’m always wearing shoes and I’d never knowContinue reading “#47: Letting the Lawn Brown Out”
#46: Call Me Reverend
Call Me Reverend Call me reverend, call me padre or father, man of the cloth, pastor, minister, oh wise one, leader of men, shepherd, or guy who became an ordained minister on-line in less than five real live human minutes. Call me the guy who has credentials to marry and bury and a parking permitContinue reading “#46: Call Me Reverend”
In Celebration of My 100th Blog Post
It’s a milestone, don’t you think? It seems so to me. This blog post right here, the one I hope you are currently reading, is the 100th blog entry by Michael Jarmer. It took me two plus years to get here. So help me do the math. What is it? 50 posts a year? That’sContinue reading “In Celebration of My 100th Blog Post”
#45: The Seven Year Old Understands Adult Psychology (Whispering Across the Table)
The Seven Year Old Understands Adult Psychology (Whispering Across the Table) So the boy and his mother are bickering, you know, the usual stuff, it’s time for dinner and someone won’t put away the iPad. There are repeated requests, some back talk, further struggling, the ubiquitous countdown, and then the final capitulation with an accompanimentContinue reading “#45: The Seven Year Old Understands Adult Psychology (Whispering Across the Table)”
#44: Sure, I Will Marry You
Sure, I Will Marry You Sure, I’ll marry you, if you’d like. That’s what I told a student of mine who sent me this message out of the blue fifteen years or better after he’d been in my classroom reading some Shakespeare, saying he had asked his girlfriend, who was also a student of mineContinue reading “#44: Sure, I Will Marry You”
#43: The Summertime Blues Is A Real Thing
The Summer Time Blues Is A Real Thing I’m here to tell you that the Summertime Blues is a real thing. And I’m not talking about the silly song about the kid who couldn’t work late or can’t use the damn car and is too young to vote, no, I’m talking about the summertime blues thatContinue reading “#43: The Summertime Blues Is A Real Thing”
#42: The Father’s Day Poem
The Father’s Day Poem My son hid little homemade Father’s Day cards around the house for me to find, hid them several times over so I could find them again. One of them said, “You are a star of men.” Flattering will get you nowhere, son, I said, but he and I both know that mostContinue reading “#42: The Father’s Day Poem”
#41: On the Very Last Work Day of the School Year
On the Very Last Work Day of the School Year It began with a breakfast during which we said tearful goodbyes to beloved colleagues retiring or moving on, a difficult, but joyful thing, wanting them to stay but wishing them well and happy returns for all they’ve done for our school and our kids. WeContinue reading “#41: On the Very Last Work Day of the School Year”
#40: Gertrude and Alice Learning Targets (a book spine poem)
This was a happy accident. These books were pretty much in this order on my desktop, so, inspired by a recent book spine photo I saw in The Mighty Social Network, I decided to “craft” my first book spine poem. And I love the idea that the company suggested by the following titles would haveContinue reading “#40: Gertrude and Alice Learning Targets (a book spine poem)”
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