He showed up at my house, wreaking of alcohol and mouthwash, chewing gum and expensive bath products. Almost ten years into a friendship of convenience, here we were again: when does the narrative change?

Yesterday’s “tweet” from WS reminds me of the importance of a circle…

I want to see him #win. I have been a cheerleader for him since day one–its in my nature but now I am feeling the consequence of my concern. I must break the cycle before it breaks me.

Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers. (Proverbs 17: 6)

In honor of the 10-year anniversary of your passing from this life into the next…

Popoo and his girls! 1979

These pictures tell a story, incomplete in form but pregnant in function. This is my grandfather with his first two granddaughters on the left (circa 1980) and his first daughter (circa 1955) on the right. When I see these pictures I feel his loving gaze; I miss him.

#3wordstory

#3sentencecomposition

(line 1) Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), a lawyer and civic leader, is often quoted as having (line 2) said “poverty is the worst form of violence” . James Baldwin (1924-1987), a     (line 3) writer, says this about poverty: “anyone who has ever struggled with poverty (line 4) knows how extremely expensive it is to be poor”.  Aristotle (384-322 BCE), a (line 5) philosopher, wrote in his volume Politics: A Treatise on Government, “poverty  (line 6) is the cause of sedition and evil”.

Baldwin 1979

Develop an argument about how all three quotes are related. Consider all evidence provided in the text including the timeline/lifespan for each speaker/author.

Common Core Text Types & Purposes (Grades 6-12) Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence; Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence

I have heard it said that family represents obligation and friend represents commitment…the major difference is the expected return on the investment. With family, there is no expectation and with friends it is great…is it wrong to expect great from both? It is why so many of my friends I actually call family. Scripture says “God places the lonely in families”. I also believe he gives us friends so we understand his intent. Live on purpose because quality relationships are no accident…

At a recent meeting where evaluation and assessment were the themes of the day, we talked about rubrics and what evaluators (in this case, teachers) can and should expect from those being evaluated (students for example). The facilitator (Giselle Martin-Kniep) challenged us to think that the “A” score is not a 4 but a 3. That is, on a scale of 1 to 4, meeting an expectation should be thought of as the A. It grounds us simply because it addresses the expected end. So what then is better than an A? How do we get to a 4? The answer…moving beyond being grounded and into being inspired! What a lovely thought!

In my mind, to be inspired means to be transformed not just by what has grounded your understanding (or that which demonstrates–proves and verifies–what you know) but to push your own understanding into pulling someone else’s. What inspires you?