How to Be an Adult Sibling

People have a tendency to feel that their struggles are very different from everyone who came before them. Perhaps that's just part of the human fascination with being unique and unrepeatable and all that, but it can get ridiculous fast. There's truth to the idea - I mean, no two lives are identical - but…

Lessons Learned

I'm not sure if I teach more lessons as a teacher, or learn more. This week alone I've taught so much. In history we discussed coats of arms and designed our own, populating them with symbols of our values. We also learned local history of New Hampshire. I taught early algebra in math class -…

Tantrum Tantrum

I come from quite a large family by today's standards. I'm the second of 9 children, all of which come from the same two parents. We older kids not only babysat, but taught and instructed the younger ones as they came along. From shoe tying to reading to tree climbing to prayers before bed, they…

Respect is Dead

Respect is a learned behavior. At least in our day and age, respect is not found intrinsically, but rather in what one has been taught to respect. This applies to everything, from respect of parents, teachers, family, friends, and (perhaps most importantly) self. It also includes respect of laws, hierarchies, customs, traditions, motivations, goals, lifestyles,…