Miscellaneous Missives

I looked back at my 2018 Year End Blog.  It seems I mentioned neglecting my blog.  In 2019, I took this to another level.  Looking back my best blogging happens with a challenge.  Perhaps, we need a gratitude challenge for January.  What are your thoughts?  Anyone in?? January The Rams went to the Super Bowl in February, but I blogged about it in January.  They lost.  This year they didn't even make the playoffs.  #stillmyteam February When I added a dumbbell to my kettlebell to do skull crushers, I actually crashed my skull.  Students didn't let this go for awhile.    March A friend designed my tattoo with my ideas.  I really love it.  April April brought #30daysofbiking.  Although I biked each and every day in April, my mileage was down from past years.  It's still a great challenge. May The Bloody Rectum Ride (BRR) took place this year in May instead of April.  Two hundre...

Fortunately, I made my book goal this year, but it took a lot of reading in the last few days.   Three of my favorite books were also listed on President Barack Obama's favorite books. 1.  The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee:  Native America from 1890 to the Present . by David Treuer 2.  Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli 3.  Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehad I didn't ride all five days of RAGBRAI last summer, and it probably made the difference in my riding.  Although I don't set a riding goal, perhaps I should.  2,020 miles in 2020?! I did work out at least 20 days of each month this calendar year!  Most of it was early morning... the best way to start the day.

1.  Gone So Long by Andre Dubus III I love the writing style.  Dubus also kept me interested through the intense emotion of his characters. 2.  Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli A family is gradually trying to come together and is being torn about as they travel listening to the news of the immigration crisis.  I'm not quite sure how Luiselli brought everything together, but this was a beautiful read. 3.  The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates Actually, I was surprised that I enjoyed this because I'm not big on fantasy or the mingling of fantasy into historical fiction.  Also, I'm a fan of Coates essays.  This proves Coates is a brilliant writer. 4.  The World that We Knew by Alice Hoffman Although I don't expect fantasy or the mingling of fantasy with historical fiction, I do expect it from Hoffman, and she did not disappoint with this incredible story of love and loss. And these should also be mentioned... The Dutc...

1. The Beautiful Ones by Prince; Edited by Dan Pipenbring I read this on my iPad before I saw the hard over copy.  The hardcover is absolutely beautiful.  This book is definitely a book to own and not merely read.  Obviously, my lists are in alphabetical order, so this is number one.  It might be the number one of the year! 2.  The Broken Ladder:  How Inequality Affects the Way We Think, Live, and Die by Keith Payne I believe this book taught me more about the culture of poverty than Ruby Payne.  This was more factual and specific.   3.  The Deepest Well:  Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity by Nadine Burke Harris, M. D. Although most people that work with children are aware of the affects of childhood adversity and ACE scores, I felt as though this book had some answers and help for these children and adults. 4.  Good Talk:  A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacob I'm not ...

1.  180 Days:  Two Teachers and the Quest to Engage and Empower Adolescents by Gallagher and Kittle Although I would never use everything in this book, it was a good reminder of the importance of continuously changing our teaching in order to best fit students. 2.  The Knowledge Gap:  The Hidden Cause of America's Bigger Education System-- and How to Fix It by Natalie Wexler I feel this is a must read for everyone in education especially those folks in administration and elementary school.  We truly do a disservice by not changing how and what we teach. 3.  We Want to do More than Survive:  Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom by Bettina Love Another book questioning the current educational system.  How do we change the system instead of trying to make students fit into the system?  Interesting read. Other Books of Note: I really wanted to love Black Leopard, Red Wolf , but it was a bit too weir...

1. The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson Hayley has been "on the road" with her dad who suffers with PTSD from the Iraqi war.  After several years, they are able to settle down.  When Hayley finds a friend, she realizes they both have their own struggles. 2.  Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga Jude must leave her brother and father in war torn Syria and move the the United States.  This novel in verse shows the love and struggle of having more than one home. 3.   Paper Things by Jennifer Richard Jacobson Ari and her brother, Gage, are homeless after their mom dies.  They made a promise to their mom to stay together.  Gage is older and is trying to hold things together while Ari goes to school, but couch jumping becomes difficult. 4.  Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson Yes, Laurie Halse Anderson deserves two YA on my top five list.  This is a more mature memoir in which Anderson is strong and poignant a...