There’s a lot of political talk these days about welfare and being “on the dole.” Well, I have a welfare mother at my door every single day. She’s bold enough to walk right up to the patio door, even interrupting Thanksgiving dinner by begging from my family and friends.…
Since moving to Wyoming, I’ve developed some interesting friendships—one of the first happened completely by accident.
The “accident” was a young crow that got stuck in my window well and couldn’t get out. He flapped and flailed with everything he had but just couldn’t gSince moving Wyoming I have developed some interesting friendships.…
I was the new kid a lot growing up. Ft. Logan, Harder Rd., Sunset, Allen, Harrington, and Vivian—those were all the elementary schools I attended. Making friends and feeling like part of the school community? That was tough. Like most kids, I just wanted to belong, to be noticed.…
Relationships are complicated, and sometimes changes happen so gradually that we don’t even notice them. I had this experience with a friend at Rangeview.
Bobby was a custodian at Rangeview and had been there almost since the beginning in 1982. He was a fixture, the institutional memory of the school.…
The years I spent working at the Royal Fork gave me a great opportunity to understand business and what it takes to be successful. We also got to see firsthand how businesses supported each other, strengthening the local economy. It was in this spirit that my fellow dishwashers and I started helping out at the doughnut shop across Colfax.…
People often reminisce about their first job, and the memories associated with it vary widely. Some cherish the experience, while others resent the time spent in that role. Many, however, find themselves in the middle, holding both positive and negative memories.
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.…
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. …
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.…
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.…
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.…
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.…
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.…
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.…
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!…
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.…
I love to walk and enjoy nature and sites. I was to learn that a walk in Germany means something completely different. Here is a post I did in 2009:
June 22, 2009, By: Randy Mills I was informed this morning of what is considered a short German walk.…
Another blog post from the 2009 Exchange. This was a visit to Prague in the Czech Republic.
July 06, 2009, By: Randy Mills
Prague is an ancient and historic city. We roamed buildings that had their origin in the 880s. A couple of hundred years before the Vikings traveled toward North America.…
As an American teacher, I am used to having an office for my job. I loved my desk in the business office and it was a place to relax and not be stressed for a short time. It was very important until it was taken from us a couple of years ago.…
The way we did the exchange when we started was that the German group from Heimschule Lender visited us in April/May for three weeks, and then we went there starting in June. It was a very busy few weeks, but it was a great adventure.…
The relationships you develop over the course of an exchange are lasting. Dawn and I have developed a relationship with our German counterparts over fifteen years. It is a bond that goes beyond just partners for academic activity. We have spent a great deal of time with many teachers over the years but we have a family that we are especially close to and have contact with until this day.…
The Greman Exchange program has been a highlight of my teaching career. Your first question might be if I know the language. The simple answer is no. It is much more complicated than a simple answer. I could survive but not for too long.…
If I am going to be honest, there is one person that I have spent many hours with that has been a big influence. Tammy Strouse has been a steady force at Rangeview for the entire time I have been there.…
We have just completed the Thanksgiving weekend and I will take this time between this and the winter break to be thankful for colleagues. I am a strong advocate of focusing on the students but colleagues build your environment and create or destroy a happy workplace.…
On day 33 I spoke of a poor role model. I want to now speak of a wonderful role model from the very same conference in Las Vegas. One of the speakers was Bob Villa who was on the show This Old House at the time.…