Dani is $300 away from meeting this goal & getting their car back. I'd love to see it met, but it would be thrilling to exceed it to help with basic needs like food they don't easily get from the food shelf (meat is especially scarce), cleaning supplies, cat food & litter...

I'm getting asked to serve on some graduate student thesis committees. After some great experiences, and some less-than-great experiences, I thought there would be value in writing up a detailed "here's what I expect from you, here's what you can expect from me" document. 🧪🦑🌍

Eleven years ago, I wrote to Tom Stoppard to ask about this coup de théâtre from 1949. It took me down an unexpected rabbit hole - in memory of Stoppard, here's what I found.

Whammageddon. This is the earliest I have ever lost. I was not expecting Delilah to go this direction with her radio therapy!!! Ack!!!!!!! #lastchristmas #wham #whammageddon #whamageddon

Pedagogically, I don’t like forcing students do ‘rigorous’ things the days after long breaks. There’s often a feeling of malaise and a lot of trauma and we gotta make class a safe space again. Community-building through conversation and games is how I re-enter the home stretch of the year.

Working at the middle school level to balance inspiration and hand holding. . . . Trying to spark curiosity . . . I don’t always know what I’m competing against, but I can tell that students are often just waiting this moment of life out. It’s a very empty life if the waiting persists.

One of my best friends from college is looking for a charger for her cochlear implants. Do we know anybody in Arlington who could help her out? Be more confident with the reach if this was the Twitter community of old... www.facebook.com/share/r/1AAN...

The seiche-posting will continue until Buffalo returns our water post haste

I think of this scene from Blast from the Past about the term Ladies & Gentlemen (Updated version: “Well-Mannered People”) I try to consider the comfort of others rather than the status of others. It makes it easier to navigate the world. Derek Guy builds out this idea fully in his thread.

Show me your gateway vehicle

Disabled activist and prolific writer Alice Wong of the Disability Visibility Project, has passed away. Below are her final words, I particularly love the line: “I’m honored to be your ancestor and believe disabled oracles like us will light the way of the future” Rest in peace and power Alice.

‘Death remains my intimate shadow partner. It has been with me since birth, always hovering close by. I understand one day we will finally waltz together into the ether. I hope when that time comes, I die with the satisfaction of a life well-lived, unapologetic, joyful, & full of love.’ —Alice Wong

Just watched the trailers for Frankenstein on Netflix. Guillermo del Toro is really out here saying, “English teachers, I see you. I love you.”

Open enrollment time for my workplace. All four of our healthcare plans increased costs by 12%. The cheapest family benefits for healthcare/medical are $2,474 per month. Single plans range from $916-1,876 per month. My district contributes enough to cover my medical and dental.

Folks, food banks can really use your time and money right now if can spare either.

Please consider these generally unknown details.

Happy Saturday! I am reflecting on the first quarter of the school year and hoping to make some adjustments for my students. I’d love your help in supporting my teaching with a few additional dictionaries . . Please consider shopping my wish list or reach out if you’d like to donate.

My students keep asking me if I am going trick or treating this year.

As a MN high school teacher who has interested students get trained on how to administer Naloxone from community nurses, I’m grateful for everyone putting in the work to save lives. 💗

In addition to any monetary donations to local food banks & mutual aid efforts, donating grocery gift cards to local schools can be a great way to support your community through difficult times 💛

I just donated to my local food bank. If you can, you should too. People are already suffering but next month, in particular, is going to be so difficult.

Close enough to the Minnesota River to hear duck hunting. Have to remind myself that ppl hunt ducks every year.

If you weren’t an adult before the ACA you likely have no idea how insane it all was.

I was once denied health insurance for having a previous breast biopsy that was benign.

We didn't get to have the conversation about whether genetic testing was appropriate or not medically. (It was, btw). Because the best thing I could do medically was to ensure I remained eligible for health insurance -- and prior to ACA, that meant staying in the dark about my genetic risk.

Before the ACA was passed, my physician told me NOT to get genetic testing. For the cancer that killed my mom. They told me not to because if I did, I might not be able to get affordable health insurance. Or any health insurance.

I got to visit Birchbark Books !!!! Signed copies of Sheine Lende, Elatsoe, A Snake Falls to Earth, Legendary Frybread Drive-through, and Never Whistle At Night are stocked in the beautiful Shop.

Foundations want to curb AI developers' influence with $500 million aimed at centering human needs apnews.com/article/arti...

I’m a doodler. For me, drawing isn’t distraction—it’s focus. With the Global Read Aloud about to begin, I’m sharing ideas for how mindful drawing can deepen read-alouds, spark conversation, and build understanding. Curious how? Click to read more.

The billion-year-old Fungal Communes remember And wait

From @theferocity.bsky.social's book, Alive at the End of the World: bookshop.org/a/862/9781566896511 #poem #books #writing

Great example of HS English lessons that bring lightness to the classroom! Love this inspo and thinking about how I can adapt re: middle school and characterization

This thread is a good reminder no matter where you are.

I forgot it was Friday and thus forgot to do First Chapter Friday with my reading classes 🫣 At least one student reminded me of it though. . . So I have succeeded in establishing some routines! 🥹

Funded postdoc gig in The Netherlands

Hey. I need a favor. 817-877-1959 Text this ^ number and type RAIDERS in the message. No strings. No list. My kids just need your vote. They’re playing a team of notoriously racist teenagers and adults and I’m hoping we can get them enough votes to win some money for their program.

Teaching win - a student wants to re-read the book I read aloud to them!

If you’re a voter in MN you can sign onto this letter. There are increasingly less and less spaces where all people in our country, especially our neighbors who are trans feel safe and are welcomed. I refuse to be a part of a party that does not stand up for and with our trans neighbors.

Also, to make this abundantly clear: This isn't just minneapolis. This is all of Minnesota. So if you know allies in outstate who could sign on, please pass it along to them.

A child was asking me about 9/11 today and needed help remembering which city the Twin Towers had been in. It is amazing how this day brings me back to the moment and how many people I interact with on 9/11 each year in schools do not have a memory of their own of that day.

Do you know what sound the letter y makes in English? I’m wondering bc it was a tough question today.

The Haves continue having . . . And the Have Nots continue to not have. Trying really hard to figure out a workaround to interrupt this is one small way within my purview.

Thursday of a short week BUT it was the first week. I cannot move. I’m so tired. Thank goodness I have a partner who decided what dinner is and a friend who picked out our Sunday funday plans.

"AI Has a Hidden Water Cost—Here’s How to Calculate Yours" #AIIsTheProblem #TLSky #EduSky #SchoolLibrarians gizmodo.com/how-much-wat...

A new tenure track fiction job at Oberlin, deadline of 9/15/2025. jobs.oberlin.edu/postings/16771

Pure coincidence that I'm finishing up this enraging & tender book right as school starts. So glad it surfaced on my TBR pile when it did. Many families in my district are in the Kafkaesque, no-win scenarios Goldstone describes. I'm glad to have that sobering reality at the forefront of my mind.

Let's put that Blueskyism to work: I'm in search of a gig graphic designer who's available for a teeny tiny project that I could probably complete with AI but refuse to use AI to complete. My DMs are open - if you know of such a person, please send recommendations my way!

Prioritizing the individual over the collective continues to harm American communities

Tools like these have been instrumental in my classroom; both in teaching kids to receive feedback and get them to progress as writers. As I loop back with the same group it's rare we see the same issues present themselves. The reflection is there, even in thirteen year olds.