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Real or not: elementary teachers diaries
Does having a second or third teacher in a classroom make students wonder who they should report to? Sure. “Who’s the boss?” A kid asked me once. They’re clearly testing how much they can get away with and who the “highest authority” on the floor ultimately is. These questions are of no surprise to anyone in a Montessori or private school environment, I believe, where there can be more than one teacher per class. The last time one of my students expressed her inquisitiveness she did so in a very direct manner. “Miss Marcia, are you a real teacher?” It triggered a belly laugh from me because no one has…
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Routine and familiarity
Seven corners, too many walls, battled windows, an old white door simple closets unknown history hide of long gone muted voices echoing the empty night The colors of the night match my soul cold like blue, dark like coal my heavy eyes the day unwind until I drift, oh, quiet mind Bedtime calls, ready to fall feeling safe in all my walls a soft reminder of the clarity one oddly finds in routine and familiarity
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Tales of a pluviophile living in Hurricane Land
When I was a little girl, tropical storms and hurricanes were, inevitably, an annual occurrence and a topic of discussion in my community. You see, I was born in the Caribbean. Fair enough? Talks of potentially being hit by a hurricane excited me. And it may sound wrong, but children are so innocent about these things that we sometimes forget about it or don’t know the right way to make them aware of it. I know that as much as parents and educators try to teach kids about the dangers of natural disasters, some children are simply still incapable of fully understanding their impact. It’s not insensitivity in their part; it’s…
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Over-reliability and vulnerability
This is not supposed to be a message of hope. Not exactly an optimistic thought either, nor the usual bullsh*t I write, rose-colored or blue, because psychology says I am my thoughts, and I want to remain eternally positive. Not that I oppose those, but this is, in reality, another review of a day in the life of an overly reliable over-thinker. I was thinking the other day how we are constantly advised or reminded to use moderation in all things because too much or too little of anything isn’t a wise measurement. I for one happen to agree. I believe in balance. Except, it never occurred to me that…
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The woman on the trolley
There’s this trolley I take. My rides are usually short, but when I’m on it, I see all kinds of people hop on and hop off — seemingly old, young, rich, poor… Not many of them make an impression on me. Most times I’m lost in my zone with my headphones on. Or maybe I’m looking out the window, impatient to get home. Other times, I notice. For different reasons, some people are hard to miss, like an elderly woman I saw today. I think I know why, but I still can’t explain all that went through my head. I felt this sadness quickly build up the more I looked…
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Seizing the day in the sheets
all I long for today is to breathe in a lazy Sunday.
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Profound lines about a fiery sky
I started with a poetic line inspired by the far fiery horizon line, and I really thought I was on to something ’til my mom wouldn’t stop background-talking Is this how inspiration is killed? is two too much of a crowd for deep words to be spilled? One lost train of thought and all is gone maddening but always with much to say ‘cause after all isn’t this how a story is born? Words flow quick in this head yet I stay down to earth when I say normals don’t understand all that it takes, that once you’re wired you better fan the flames One circumstantial vodka shot can numb…
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Time Wise
Some days are worth it. Some days you make the best of every passing minute, every hour. Sunset seems to be holding back, waiting for you to run your last errand before it’s pitch black outside. Some days, you’re running on your own time. Cursing out fast cars passing by, if you must, because they’re taking over your lane or the pedestrian side. And, you even have time for a good chitchat with friends before bedtime or for one more episode of that show you just won’t give up. But some days, it is like, BOOM! When did the sky go gray? And you wonder, where did my day go?…
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Groceries and Single People
I come before you tonight with one rant and one rant only: Why aren’t there more grocery stores catering to single households in this country?! Are the people who run Trader Joe’s the only ones in the United States of America who have got it right? They seem to understand that some of us don’t need a whole gallon of milk, heck not even half. And do I have to make another trip to Whole Foods or some local boutique bakery every time just to get a customized loaf of bread? At most supermarkets, the only aisles where you will certainly find smaller portions is in the frozen food…
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Mixed feelings and life itself
Are you ever torn between “I don’t give a f*ck” and “I felt that too much”? Entirely. Because I completely hear you if you are. There are millions of us who can connect with that sentiment. (And there’s an even more inclined crowd, like this self-proclaimed poet, who feels everything even deeper.) I’ve known cold and shallow, and I’ve known warmth and depth. So, trust me — not everyone can relate to the way you see misunderstandings, disappointments, hurt, harm, and beyond. But to those who can relate: I understand. I know what it is like to be misunderstood, when all you want is just to at least be heard.…
