Contributions by Publius

Lenny Gates or One Morning In The Life

By | Prose, Publius

There were three thousand six hundred and fifty-three days like this in his sentence. …The three extra days were for leap years. from One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn As I park my car this morning, I notice some guys working in the football field, and others carrying bricks to …

Today is Records Keeping Day

By | Humor, Prose, Publius

I just get back from Christmas Vacation and walk in, when I see Dr. Galvin running down the hall swinging a broom over his head. Literally. Running down the hall swinging a broom. Later I learn that a bat got in the school. Later. But since I didn’t see the bat — the bat was …

Professional Development

By | Humor, Prose, Publius

I asked Andrew how he felt after yesterday’s professional development. “It wasn’t epically soul crushing.” Andrew is a nice guy. This, it must be noted, was his idea of something good to say. That said, we spent the entire day at a faculty meeting pondering the following question. “How does the ability to read complex …

The Unfairness of Life

By | Humor, Prose, Publius

Best quote of the day from a high school kid: “I don’t know why she gave me an F. She got nothin’ to complain about. I never do nothin’ in that class.” _____

The New Kid

By | Humor, Prose, Publius

There’s a rule. Whatever goes on the very first form of the very first day, that’s what you’re stuck with all year long. Misspell your first name, and that’s who you are all year. 4th period and I have my really bright kids, my honors class. I’m in Room 205, but, right at the beginning …

Keeping Secrets

By | Humor, Prose, Publius

I’m sworn to secrecy on this, so I just had to tell everyone. Some secrets are just too good not to share. So I ask a colleague about my old school, Metropolitan Middle. Her lover works there. She tells me that, thus far this year, they’ve had three principals. “The one they got now, and …

My Father

By | Prose, Publius

He wasn’t much of a father, but he was the family lyricist. He once described himself as sitting beneath “the dangling dick of destiny.” Another time, speaking of my mother, he said, “The problem with Catholic women is that, when they get old, they become all priest infested.” This was followed by a shudder that, …

Young and Cheery

By | Prose, Publius

So I say to my student teacher, ‘I know what my teaching looks like compared to the other teachers in my building. I see Art The Art Teacher and Mr. North and the others in these halls. But how do I compare to other supervising teachers? They’re like in other buildings, other school districts. I’m …