It’s only been four days, but I miss my students, I miss my student teacher, I miss my colleagues, and I miss that building, oddly enough, perhaps, the most constant and stable thing in my adult life, my school and my classroom like another home. Meanwhile, the sun shines, the dogs get another long walk.Continue reading “A Journal of the Plague Year: #4”
Category Archives: Poetry
A Journal of the Plague Year: #3
Number of cases of coronavirus in Oregon: 75. Number of Oregon deaths from the virus: 3. Number of student contact days lost thus far: 3. Number of student contact days expected to be lost, as of this moment: 27. Number of educational hours potentially lost: approximately 175. Number of plans in place (or announced) for remote schooling: 0. NumberContinue reading “A Journal of the Plague Year: #3”
A Journal of the Plague Year: #2
Good news and bad news. Here’s the good news, in no particular order: the dogs got a walk two days in a row. I rode my bike two days in a row. I fixed the kitchen sink all by myself. It’s another beautiful day, weather-wise. Feels almost like BBQ season. The government is thinking aboutContinue reading “A Journal of the Plague Year: #2”
A Journal of the Plague Year: #1
We learned Thursday night, March 12, 2020, that spring break would be extended significantly. School is cancelled, the buildings are shuttered, by order of our state governor, for an extra week and some change. School business will not resume until April 1. Friday was our last day in session before this mandatory break. We wereContinue reading “A Journal of the Plague Year: #1”
#344: Who Let The Dogs Out?
They let themselves out, thank you very much. On a warm, August night, 11 pm, something outside catches their attention, and the larger of my two dogs simply stands up on her hind legs and, using the handle, opens the latched screen door. And they run. Together. Free to run and roam. They cross the busy streetContinue reading “#344: Who Let The Dogs Out?”
#343: Dudes, Step Aside. Let Women Steer This Ship. It’s Their Turn.
When I think about the most effective principals I have ever known: women. When I think about my most effective, most respected colleagues: women. When I think about my most influential mentors, college professors, coaches, teachers, and facilitators: mostly women. So, I’m thinking, when it comes to the 2020 elections: dudes, step aside. You’ve hadContinue reading “#343: Dudes, Step Aside. Let Women Steer This Ship. It’s Their Turn.”
#342: May 8, Soul Work
It’s May 8. I sleep in an extra hour. I make myself a kick-ass scrambler. I pick my brother up at 9 and we drive toward I-84. There’s a bunch of teachers on an overpass wearing red and hanging their banners and I honk at them. My brother and I make our way to theContinue reading “#342: May 8, Soul Work”
#341: You Do What You Need To Do
You do what you need to do. If you want to hang a banner over an overpass, you go ahead and do that. If you want to stop by the union office and write a letter to your representative, you do that. If you need to go downtown to be inside of a crowd ofContinue reading “#341: You Do What You Need To Do”
#340: Why Teachers Walk Out (A Short List)
Here’s a short list of reasons why teachers in Oregon are walking out on Wednesday: First, some math: 40 kids in a class room– times six. A student load anywhere between 160 and 240. 6 sections of up to 3 distinct courses to teach, 87 minute periods. An 87 minute preparation period to plan a meaningful 261Continue reading “#340: Why Teachers Walk Out (A Short List)”
#349: Bad Checker
I walked through the express checkout, up to 12 items, with a jug of milk, a carton of orange juice, some lunch meat, and some chicken thighs for the grill. Four items. The checker, he was a bad checker. He didn’t greet me, he didn’t ask me how I was, he didn’t smile, he didn’tContinue reading “#349: Bad Checker”
michael jarmer 