When I look at my last year of high school for the second time, I get nostalgic about my life. I tend to remember the things from my first trip through high school. It was not the joyous romp that is often portrayed.…
Author Archive: Randy Mills
Day 165 May 8, 2023 Catchphrase
Bantering with students is a way that teachers make connections with students. I think I have used many catchphrases over the years and some take on a life of their own. It culminated years ago in one of my students creating a poster of things I was not allowed to say anymore.…
Day 164 May 5, 2023 Brenna or Brunnen?
When learning a language people find helpful ways to remember words. Patrice who was our German teacher was very good at finding those connections. Another key factor is the repetition of words and language. Patrice understood this and was always reminding kids of words and phrases and their connections.…
Day 163 May 4, 2023 French Monkeys
I promised stories about French Monkeys all the way back on day 131 of the blog. Here goes… In Germany, we travel around the region for fun and history. One of the lesser-known attractions is a Monkey Park called La Montagne des Singes.…
Day 162 May 3, 2023 Panhandling
Panhandling seems to be a problem everywhere. While we were in Strasbourg, France we saw the in the tourist areas. Along with people walking around selling junk for exorbitant prices. You just had to pay attention. The teachers were having a cup of coffee while students explored the La Petit France area of town.…
Day 161 May 2, 2023 Problems Abroad
Our goal of the German Exchange was to explore history as well as modern life in Germany. It was to support our German language program at Rangeview. We always spent time traveling the region and extended into France. Our trips to Strasbourg were always an education of history and modern times.…
Day 160 May 1, 2023 Hike On The Beach
This is a story that I haven’t told often. It is in keeping with my goal to not appear on the six o’clock news as a teacher. The exchange that my daughter was a part of had many different adventures. You have already heard a couple but now the one that could get me fired.…
Week 34 Musical Interlude
This is Prom season so I have 3 songs from my Prom time in the 70s. First is Stairway to Heaven. Played at every dance but was impossible to dance to. Taking Care of Business by BTO was a great dancing song with a lot of energy.…
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.…
Day 140 March 31, 2023 Clean Uniforms
The graphic for today should say everything. Mothers have always hated white baseball pants. I have told my players to have a practice pair of pants and then game pants. It just made it easier. We played on a field that was rough on uniforms.…
Day 139 March 30, 2023 Under The Base
Field conditions in high school run the gambit from perfect to perfectly horrible. One game where I was able to make the umpire laugh so hard that he forgot to yell at me. We were playing a game against Bruce Randolph in Denver.…
Day 138 March 29, 2023 I’m Outta Here!
Working with umpires is a delicate balance between diplomacy and losing your mind. I need to say that the overwhelming majority of the umpires we have had were outstanding and did their job well. There were times that I didn’t agree with them but that is to be expected in a game.…
Day 137 March 28, 2023 Access-a-Ride
One of the challenging parts of coaching a high school sport is working with umpires or other officials. Before I get too deep into a couple of stories I need to preface my comments with the fact that I was only tossed from a game once in all of my years of coaching.…
Day 136 March 27, 2023 Hat Direction
Successful coaches often have things that are non-negotiable in their program. Mine was the direction of the hat. I am a believer that the athlete represents his team, his program, his school, his family, his community, and himself. Respect for all of those folks is paramount for me.…
Week 29 Musical Interlude
A sad look at nostalgia from Bruce Springsteen. I don’t visit Lakewood much but it has changed so much that I wouldn’t recognize it. It does remind me of something I said as we were planning the 30-year high school reunion.…
Day 135 March 24, 2023 Skittles
A snack bar is a favorite place for spectators during a game. We made some good money for our program when selling snacks and soda. Players can even indulge between the first and second games of a doubleheader. I have had many hotdogs and Snickers bars between games, but not much during a game.…
Day 134 March 23, 2023 Devon Watts
The goal of every coach is to have a kid who throws with good velocity, and movement, and can disguise his pitches. We all make them pitchers and if they are left-handed we are in heaven. One year I had a kid named Devon.…
Day 133 March 22, 2023 It’s A Canales
The game of baseball is a love affair and not just a sport. I am one of those that hold the game sacred. I am an old-school guy and am still grumbling about the designated hitter. “If the pitcher ain’t hitting, it ain’t baseball.”…
Day 132 March 21, 2023 – Exchange Relationships
This will be my last post about the German Exchange for a while. This one I am writing this one now instead of using a previously published story.
Relationships are the most cherished memories from the exchange. The friends I have made make me long for a return visit.…
Day 131 Spring Break Extra – Match 20, 2023 – Final Thoughts
This was the final post from 2009. I will have a couple of more later in the year but this covers the serious and important stuff. I will talk about an American Consulate Guard almost shooting me and a French Monkey later!…
Week 28 Musical Interlude
I have been a Billy Joel fan and this is a look back at high school for both of us.
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Day 130 Spring Break Extra – March 17, 2023 Farewell Dinner
This is the post after visiting the Graduation Ceremony for the Heimschule Lender.
June 28, 2009
Last night we had the chance to see the ceremony for the students that have successfully completed the Arbitur. It is the test for school completion in Germany.…
Day 129 Spring Break Extra – March 16, 2023 Europa Park
June 24, 2009
Did I mention that I am afraid of heights? Yesterday we went to Europa Park. I had a chance to ride three of the 5 roller coasters. The other two had very long lines and we were in one for a while but it was over an hour wait for them.…
Day 128 Spring Break Extra March 15, 2023 Travel & Leipzig
Another post from our trip in 2009. Leipzig was a great adventure and our time there was memorable beyond belief. To walk in the steps of history was humbling.
July 03, 2009
Our next adventure was to get from Achern to Leipzig and to our next destination.…
Day 127 March 14, 2023 – Spring Break Bonus German Theatre
Theatre at the Heimschule Lender
Another post from our exchanges. This one is from the theatre show we saw put on by the students.
Last night I had the honor of attending a performance of a student musical at the school.…
Day 126 March 13, 2023 – Spring Break Bonus Berlin
Berlin – 2009
I am doing some blogs from our German Exchange. Here is our first trip to Berlin.
The next day we tried again with the train and it worked perfectly. Well almost! The trip there was perfect but on the way back the next adventure began.…
Week 27 Musical Interlude
This one is done on spring break but I have so many I can’t afford to miss a week. I have been lucky in my classes to have students that have gone on to do great things. Many will not be celebrities but they will be famous in their world.…
Day 125 March 10, 2023 – Spring Break Bonus Bodensee
Bodensee
I am adding blog posts from my trips to Germany for the exchange. This story is about our trip to the Bodensee 2014
Thursday morning we left for the Bodensee with all of our students and our hosts. It was an experience in public transportation.…