Confessions of a Raffle Ticket Holder

Every month, our curriculum team dreams up some kind of teacher incentive to keep things fun and encouraging. This month’s idea? A raffle. Every time someone pops into your classroom and catches 100% of your students engaged, you earn a raffle ticket. Easy enough, right? Engage the students, collect some tickets, cross your fingers.

Well, I did pretty well. Actually, I did really well. I collected a whole bunch of tickets. But before I tossed them all into the raffle box, I noticed something: they were really pretty. Bright, cheerful, hopeful. The kind of little thing that just makes you feel good.

I wanted to keep one. Just one. I even snapped a quick picture of them all spread out in my hand, thinking, "Oh, I’ll remember them this way." But now? I wish I had actually kept one.

See, I have a “Feel Good Wall” in my office. It's where I hang up anything that lifts me up after a tough day — thank you notes, cards, silly little accolades, drawings from students, you name it. It's my reminder that even on the hardest days, there’s a whole wall full of reasons why this work matters.

That raffle ticket would've fit right in. A little symbol of a job well done, tucked in among the love notes and doodles.

Ah well. Next time I get something small and wonderful, you better believe it's going straight onto the wall. Picture or no picture.

The Best Thing I Didn't Know I Needed

The other day, I was roaming the hallway like a ghost of bad behavior past. I had one mission: find a fellow teacher to vent to before I exploded into a confetti blast of frustration and sarcasm.

It had been that kind of day—kids throwing things, lying with the boldness of someone auditioning for a courtroom drama, general chaos. The kind of day that makes you seriously wonder if you accidentally signed up for the wrong profession. ("Did I check the wrong box on that career interest survey in high school? Should I have gone into dental hygiene?") I was evaluating my life choices, and it wasn't pretty.

Anyway, I was on the hunt for my usual confidante, but her office was empty. Heavy sigh. But across the hall… I noticed something strange.

Laughter.

Joy.

People having fun? In a school building? After 2:30 p.m.?

Naturally, I was suspicious.

But I poked my head in and found a whole group of teachers—just hanging out, solving the New York Times crossword puzzle together like it was the most normal after-school activity in the world.

And here’s the best part—they welcomed me in like I’d always been part of the crew.

We’ve got a little of everything:

• Two social studies teachers who know just about every historical fact ever.

• Two math teachers who actually enjoy numbers.

• A technology teacher who loves coding.

• A special ed teacher with the patience of a saint.

• An ELA teacher who knows words that haven't been used since 1874.

Our ages range from mid-20s to 60s, so our knowledge is as diverse as our snack choices. Someone always knows something, and someone always has a random fact no one asked for—but turns out to be super useful.

And Friday? Friday was a milestone. For the first time ever, we completely solved five days’ worth of crosswords in a row. A full streak. It was like winning the nerdy Olympics—and yes, we were very proud of ourselves.

I went looking for someone to commiserate with, but instead I found a little unexpected joy in a classroom full of crossword-loving coworkers. Now, I look forward to it every day. It’s not just about the puzzle—it’s the laughter, the camaraderie, the brainpower, and the feeling that hey, even on the worst days, I’m not alone in this.

Teaching is hard. But a daily puzzle with good people? That’s a little reminder that there’s still a lot of good tucked in between the chaos.

I love these kids!

For the holiday, I assembled treat bags for the kids with little things Melissa and I bought for them. We gave them a jingle bell, a candy cane, a pencil with two little erasers, a sticky hand, and a coloring book. We decided that, because of the low attendance today, we would show them a movie and give math a break.

7A, my SPED class, was the one I thought would be the most crazy. Instead, they opened their treat bags quietly, ate their candy canes, and enjoyed Beethoven's Christmas Adventure. They even said thank you as they were leaving the classroom!

7B, my gifted group, was the one I thought would be the quietest. Wrong again. The sticky hands were almost immediately flying in all directions as they tried to pull other student's belongings away from them, tried to stick them on the ceiling, tried to stick them in each other's hair... The Santa Clause was just background noise for happy shenanigans. I thought they were a riot, but Melissa was not amused. Probably a good thing...they would have been out of control all period, and I'd have been right along with them. :D

7C, my English language learners, was the group I was unsure of. A high percentage of the group follows the path of Islam, so I had a back-up coloring sheet in case they had religious objection to a Christmas movie and gift. I need not have worried. Some seemed to get the biggest kick out of the candy canes, eating it from both ends. As a whole, they initially preferred coloring in the little holiday coloring books in their treat bags to watching the movie , but then quickly realized they could grab each other's coloring books with the sticky hands. I probably shouldn't have let them get away with it, but hey, it's the last day of school before break, and I'm tired. :D

It's funny how this job is working out for me. I don't think I've ever worked so hard or for so many hours, but I feel like I'm making a difference. It's fulfilling, enjoyable, and worth every minute.

I have finally found my purpose.

Superbowl 50

Superbowl 50 is in the books. 

Carolina Panthers     10

Denver Broncos        24

Yes, I was rooting for the old guy.

Congratulations, Peyton Manning and the Broncos Nation! 

Seattle is going to the Superbowl!

Earlier this year, I watched an entire Bills game with a friend of mine. He was great. He even let me ask questions during the game! Anyway, I came away with a reasonable amount of basics and an understanding that there is a whole lot more to this game than I previously thought.

Now, from listening to the radio every morning, especially on a Monday morning following a Bills game, I've come to the understanding that they really aren't that good. So I caught the occasional game during the season to keep my hand in, so to speak, and never had any Superbowl hopes that Bills fans seem to have at the beginning of every season.

Besides, my brother lives in Seattle. If I'm going to root for a team, why not a good one in his hometown?

I have to say I surprised myself. I was so disappointed in the Seahawks for most of the game...interceptions, sacks, penalties...it appeared hopeless. I still, though, could not bring myself to root for the team whose fans wear Swiss cheese hats. I have my standards.

I don't know how, but they pulled it off. Seattle won in overtime and will be in Superbowl 49. Guess who I'm rooting for on Superbowl Sunday?

Painting with a Twist

Three friends and I went to Painting with a Twist for a girls night out. What fun! 

It's BYOB and snacks, and an instructor takes you step-by-step through painting a 'masterpiece'. I had a blast!

My New Favorite Song!

Telestrations

Remember the telephone game? At the start of a line, one person whispers something into the next person's ear, and by the end of the line, you end up with something completely different?  Well, this game is a lot like that. You start with something to draw. You pass your pad to the person on your left, who guesses what you drew. Then they pass the pad to the person on their left, who then draws what they guessed, and so on. 

We played this game at my friend Nancy's house tonight after Christmas dinner, and I kid you not, I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. This game was worth every penny they paid for it, and I want to get it to play with my family at our next get-together. Great fun!