R-T Columns
Walk and Roll, 1978 | Mark’s Remarks
Last week was “Walk and Roll To School Day.” I don’t know the origin, but I think it’s been around since the late 1990s. Someone asked me if it was…
Read MoreLines in the sand | Ott Observations
Mike Bost is our representative in Congress. He has a website which summarizes his positions on a variety of issues. Our country is divided over whether the past presidential election…
Read MorePranktober | Mark’s Remarks
One of the things I’m really going to miss about teaching in a school with a bunch of hooligans is the pranks that usually begin to crop up around this…
Read MoreTechnology and taking things for granted | Mark’s Remarks
I’m trying to remember my early days as a teacher, conjuring up memories of the “hardships” we like to tell stories about when young teachers complain about the internet being…
Read MoreLet’s talk baseball | Ott Observations
Part of the beauty of sports is they give us a break from all the stresses of daily life. And in this world of increased polarization, one thing virtually all…
Read MoreBlock party | Mark’s Remarks
Michelle is a good match for me, because she often has fanciful ideas that end up being excellent ones. After I unintentionally pop her idea bubble, bring up boring…
Read MoreMarybeth | Mark’s Remarks
“Have you met Marybeth yet?” My friends who already knew her said we just had to meet. I had no idea who this Marybeth was. People kept telling me…
Read MoreOur two biggest challenges | Ott Observations
I think our country today faces two immense and complex challenges, but they aren’t what you think. It’s not the economy, the environment or how to handle Russia, China or…
Read MoreToo much discussion | Mark’s Remarks
I love to watch the show “Hoarders.” Most of the episodes are predictable. A team comes in, assesses the hoard and then goes about convincing the person to let go…
Read MoreFlossie and the chip | Mark’s Remarks
Sometimes when I am majorly fed up with some of my own children and their idiosyncrasies, I try very hard to reach back in the recesses of my memory and…
Read MoreReal education support | Ott Observations
In the past few months, Waterloo School Board meetings have been setting parent attendance records. Coverage of these meetings by the Republic-Times has required some of the largest column inch…
Read MoreWaving goodbye | Mark’s Remarks
When the end of summer rolls around, I begin to remember things I knew as a kid. I remember the katydids and crickets singing as the sun was going down.…
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