Day 159 April 28, 2023 Berlin

I had a post about our first trip to Berlin earlier but I want to add a couple of details I didn’t include in the first post. The unexploded bomb that delayed the train was just the beginning. We got to see the era of capitalism that has exploded worldwide.…

Day 158 April 27, 2023 WordPerfect 9.1

I have spent my career being at the forefront of technology I have used some great products over the years. PowerPoint is a case in point. I started using PowerPoint for MAC in the early 90s. It didn’t start out as a Microsoft product but they were bought in the late 80s.…

Day 157 April 26, 2023 Leadership

Leadership matters. For my CyberPatriot trip to the National Finals, we had a leader that had emerged three years earlier. Lucas Nicodemus was our leader on the team and ran a tight ship! Our goal from 2010 was to return and Lucas spent the next three years making that goal a reality. …

Day 156 April 25, 2023 Promises Promises

I try to avoid making promises because I don’t like the idea of breaking them. Every now and then I make a promise and wait and hope that I can deliver. Our first year with CyberPatriot was successful because we made nationals.…

Week 33 Musical Interlude

A couple of songs for this week. The first is a Rod Stewart song, Forever Young. It really speaks to how I view students. They will always be 17 in my classroom. No matter what they do I will always be there for them.…

Day 155 April 21, 2023 National Finals 1

Our first year in CyberPatriot saw us push all of the rules. The competition started as an added piece for ROTC. It really hadn’t considered the open division, so when they made it available to all schools, the rules had to be challenged.…

Day 154 April 20, 2023 CyberPatriot

Emails have become extra work in this modern day of education. There was a time when the principal got all of the information from the district and anyone else and synthesize what we needed to know. They would make a weekly or daily bulletin that we all read.…

Day 153 April 19, 2023 30-Second Haircut

The escapades with my hair continue. A few years after the leg waxing incident, I decided to do another homecoming hair challenge. I knew that the legs were off-limits this time and so I went with shaving my head bald. The good news is that after every time I have done this, it has grown back.…

Day 152 April 18, 2023 Hairless Teacher

One of the fun activities in high school is the annual homecoming. As a teacher, I felt it was my responsibility to participate and show the students the value of school spirit. I mentioned the dress-up days previously but I want to highlight getting deeply into the spirit.…

Day 151 April 17, 2023 Hairspray

I have been asked what are some of the crazy things I have done as a teacher. I will explore the pathway that hair has held for me over the years. You may ask what my hair has to do with the crazy things I have done as a teacher.…

Week 32 Musical Interlude

Last week was about lost youth but I think this week is the best description for students leaving us at the end of high school. It speaks about a loss of innocence and facing adulthood. Fore those of you who think it has drug references are wrong.…

Day 150 April 14, 2023 Dress Up

I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about high school dress-up days. I have just added three pictures. One of the fun parts of being a part of high school is the dress up games. I am just going to let you bask in the glory of the Blues Brothers, The original Uncle Fester, and the Incredibles.…

Day 149 April 13, 2023 Beginnings & Destinations

I think we have a responsibility to give our students a sense of themselves and where they can go. High school is often the beginning for many students but it is their destination that is the most glorious. Theatre was a place for many students to find themselves.…

Day 148 April 12, 2023 Lunatics

It has been said too many times in my career that I have to be a little crazy to be a teacher. With that idea, I decided to direct One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest. Upon reflection, I might have been crazy.…

Day 147 April 11, 2023 Drinking Blood

Actors always think they are the best and most creative to ever take the stage. That is why they are good actors but sometimes they take it too far. Sandy Scott, Tammy Strouse, and I had different styles of directing. One of the hallmarks of my technique was freedom on stage.…

Day 146 April 10, 2023 Jumping Off A Bridge

Les Miserables was one of my favorite productions we did at Rangeview. The show we did in 2003 still ranks as one of the best high school productions I have been a part of or seen. We had exceptional actors and the set was a thing of wonder.…

Week 31 Musical Interlude

I am going to have to double up on some songs since I have so many. I have always loved folk music and so I have a couple that talks about the passing of time and youth. They are beautiful songs but mourn the loss of youth and I loved them when I was young but not I understand them.…

Day 145 April 7, 2023 Talking to God

Actors are sometimes hard to convince about playing a part. I had one example as I was directing Fiddler on the Roof. The actor who played Tevye had to be loose and free in his personality and his actions. Robert was picked for the part because he had a great audition.…

Day 144 April 6, 2023 Casting Mistakes

Every director has made casting mistakes. Steven Spielberg to a second-grade teacher doing “The Magic Schoolbus.” I have made my share. In my defense, I have made some brilliant choices. Every now and then there is a monumental mistake that haunts you.…

Day 143 April 5, 2023 Turn Off The Lights

This story is reported from my perspective and memory. I know people have had other experiences so I am speaking just for myself. There are students that have a huge impact on their teachers but not many transcend as much as our theatre spirit.…

Day 142 April 4, 2023 Re-Imagining Shakespeare

Every director that is worth their salt, does a Shakespeare play. It was my turn and I picked Romeo & Juliet for my run at Shakespeare. I want to say this with a little pride. A few of the kids that were in the production have done well in the performing arts as a career.…

Week 30 Musical Interlude

This is the second Billy Joel song. I heard him describe this song and he was adamant that it was not a political song but just a history of what has happened in his lifetime up until then. I also am amazed at the history I have witnessed and love to share it with my students.…

Day 141 April 3, 2023 It Didn’t Seem Important!

I want to take some time and do some stories from my years in theatre and performing arts. I mentioned very early in this blog that I got into the Theatre Department because the principal in my interview talked about the activities I did in high school.…