Randy Mills

Teaching & Learning Computer Science & Cybersecurity since 1975

Recent Blog Posts

Welcome to my blog page. I have reached an age where I believe I have something worth sharing. It is up to the reader to decide if what I post holds value. I want to share my thoughts based on thirty years of teaching and over sixty years of life. These thoughts are my own, and I hope people will receive them in the spirit intended.

My goal is to create a fun space to share stories from my life and experiences. I have mentioned a few names, but only when I felt they would not be offended. These stories are based on my memories, and I acknowledge that others may have different recollections. Nevertheless, I stand by my memories and the resulting stories.

Below are the most recent but there are over 250 in various categories. Explore and have fun! Enjoy, and feel free to share your own recollections of the stories I tell.

Day 45 – October 13, 2022 Sheltered English

I think every child ought to visit Disneyland. It really is the happiest place on earth. I have many stories about Disneyland and they will come up when I transition to high school. My first time at Disneyland was as a teacher at Montivew.…

Day 44 – October 12, 2022 Mentors

Teaching has given me the good fortune to meet many influential teachers over the last few years. One of my favorites was meeting and talking to Donald Graves. Donald Graves was a leader in the reforming of writing. His books stand out as beacons of light as a way to instruct young writers.…

Day 43 – October 11, 2022 Interview Intervention

It is not what you know but who you know. This will be a repeating theme in my story. On September 6 or Day 18, I spoke about getting hired. This is about the interview before getting hired. The first time I encountered this was while getting hired at Montview.…

Day 42 – October 10, 2022 Chrysalis not Cocoon

Opportunity and flexibility are important in elementary classrooms. Too many teachers teach their lesson plans and often don’t teach their students. You sometimes have to seize an opportunity and let the planned lesson fall by the wayside. These are often the best learning days.…

Week 9 Musical Interlude

Rock and Roll High School by the Ramones

[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz7KYUkdlvE”]…

Day 41 – October 7, 2022 Thematic Phones

In the words of that great philosopher Kermit: “It isn’t being green.” Most elementary teachers use themes to enhance their rooms and build the sense of family. My first few years saw me use a frog and green theme. It was at this time that cell phones were starting to become more common.…