As previously mentioned, while traveling this summer, I’ll be updating SoDak it Hurts with excerpts from the ‘zine we created this spring around the idea, What it Takes to Begin. I hope you enjoy! __________________________________ – Cannon Ball Powwow – - Levi -

As previously mentioned, while traveling this summer, I’ll be updating SoDak it Hurts with excerpts from the ‘zine we created this spring around the idea, What it Takes to Begin. I hope you enjoy! __________________________________ 1. One more bullet. One more gun. One more kid who will never again walk in to my room and…

As previously mentioned, while traveling this summer, I’ll be updating SoDak it Hurts with excerpts from the ‘zine we created this spring around the idea, What it Takes to Begin. I hope you enjoy! __________________________________ My Post I know I cannot hold every piece of living. I know moments will slip away from me on…

As previously mentioned, while traveling this summer, I’ll be updating SoDak it Hurts with excerpts from the ‘zine we created this spring around the idea, What it Takes to Begin. I hope you enjoy! __________________________________ The Art of Being Purposeful My brother has this saying—Do things on purpose. I imagine that by living so, the…

As previously mentioned, while traveling this summer, I’ll be updating SoDak it Hurts with excerpts from the ‘zine we created this spring around the idea, What it Takes to Begin. I hope you enjoy! __________________________________ What does it take to begin? It takes courage and coffee. It takes presence and pasteurized milk. It takes drive…

As previously mentioned, while traveling this summer, I’ll be updating SoDak it Hurts with excerpts from the ‘zine we created this spring around the idea, What it Takes to Begin. I hope you enjoy! __________________________________ What it Takes It is both a blessing and a curse, that drive is.  On mornings I’m running late, I…

As previously mentioned, while traveling this summer, I’ll be updating SoDak it Hurts with excerpts from the ‘zine we created this spring around the idea, What it Takes to Begin. I hope you enjoy! __________________________________ The Drum The Drum in the high school commons, Every morning at 8:20 a.m.. A heartbeat for this day. The…

As previously mentioned, while traveling this summer, I’ll be updating SoDak it Hurts with excerpts from the ‘zine we created this spring around the idea, What it Takes to Begin. I hope you enjoy! __________________________________ Wake Up Call Why? I ask myself.  Why am I still here? A question—one of many—that I cannot answer. Yet…

As previously mentioned, while traveling this summer, I’ll be updating SoDak it Hurts with excerpts from the ‘zine we created this spring around the idea, What it Takes to Begin. I hope you enjoy! __________________________________ Sono Sveglia (I Am Awake) The sun swiftly trips in his hurry to please And awakens orange in everything while…

After sticking around to teach summer school and work on pacing guides for the district, I’ll be traveling to Chicago for a Differentiated Instruction Conference, then on to Switzerland for a few weeks. When I return to the states, I’ll head to back to South Dakota for Also Like The Wind’s (our band) last show.…

One of the best things I’ve heard said about teaching: There are two things that can smell B.S. – dogs and students. After reflecting on my first year of teaching, I realize that I might not be the teacher who perfectly scaffolds lessons or has an acute attention to minute student actions or creates games…

This morning the short film I discussed in my last post – SoDak it Hurts – A look inside Teach For America (created by Brittan Pittman) was featured on the TeachFor.Us homepage! if you haven’t watched it yet, go check it out!

My good buddy Brittan over at Bara Media paid us a visit back in December. He was my first friend from Texas to make the haul up north to see what my life is like in Mission. He is an extremely talented photographer and film maker and he has a desire to tell stories. So,…

One thing I constantly fail at: Asking for help. I don’t know if it’s my pride, lack of forethought or stupidity, but I always ask for help way too late in the game. My most recent reminder was during preparation for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Which went swimmingly, by the way) – I attempted to…

This evening we will open our Spring Play – Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. My students have done an incredible job familiarizing themselves with the language and have really taken ownership of the project. Thanks to four friends who were willing to fill vacant spots in the cast, we have some hilarious teachers gracing the…

I am a big fan of a tradition my friends over at Those Awake started: every Christmas for the past two years they host a gathering where attendees can reflect on relationships and the season through readings and song. This past December, there was a call for submissions for a ‘zine on the subject of…

I’m an English teacher,  not a science teacher. I wish I could create a really detailed and accurate metaphor to represent the relationship between unstable nuclear things and my classroom. But, I cannot. Please don’t judge my knowledge (or lack thereof) of nuclear physics – judge my expression of the idea. It’s like everyday I…

Often I’ll look at my reflection in the morning through my window and visualize how I’ll be presenting the information for the day. Before students ever file into my classroom I often choose to not try something new or not do an activity I assume they will not be interested in. Before my students even…

What kind teacher am I and who do I connect with? No matter the method of teaching or type of instruction or material covered, I won’t be the one to break through to every student. Presently, I am a student and I know if I am not invested into a classroom or professor, I am…

What language am I speaking? I often wonder this, especially on the hard days when I feel like I haven’t said one word in English. At Institute this past summer my School Director had a philosophy about ‘Sticky Handles’ – a method to keep students connected to what you are saying. It involved exploring the…

To celebrate the excellent work of the Oral Interpretation, One Act and Poetry* students – tonight we are holding the first Todd County Fine Arts Night. In two acts, high school students who’ve competed and received state-level recognition will perform the pieces that brought home the gold to Todd County. The show begins at 7:00…

My mentor here in explained an excellent concept to me a while back. She talked with me about daily investing myself into my lessons so I can teach enthusiastically and hook my students no matter what the material. She told me I need to find a way to be passionate about either the topic, the…

Consistency is one of the most important qualities I’ve observed and come to value while here in South Dakota. Being consistent as a person and teacher applies to everything: discipline in keeping up with plans and systems in the classroom, with expectations for students, with mindsets as a teacher and what the purpose is for…

For the first time in school history, we brought home the Superior One Act Play Award to Todd County High School. Not only did our play take the highest award at the South Dakota State One Act Festival, but the kids also received the Outstanding Ensemble award, recognizing them for their cohesiveness as a unit.…

My students are the South Dakota Region 6 One Act Play Champions. It happened with: A desk and chair borrowed from my teacher friend down the hall. A set of stairs borrowed from the school we performed at. A freshman lighting technician who had never seen a lighting board before the day of competition. A…