Hello Readers! No time, no blog. #youbum Hey, it’s not easy writing when you feel like you aren’t a writer anymore. It’s been a hot minute since I feel like I’ve had much of anything to say or thought that anyone would listen. No, no one wants to read the pity party blog, so I’ll stop now, but it’s been difficult summoning words. #ItisfineWeallgothroughit Well, not all of us, but it’s ok. *Enter the narrator (hopefully James Earl Jones)* 24 hours later Apparently, the words were not coming yesterday either! FYI: I’m writing until my mind is clear, so this may be a big old mess! Caitlin Clark ..read more

To my writing community members, I’m sorry. I’ve been a crappy writing partner. This title has been up on my WordPress since Thursday. I started this challenge out in good shape, but suddenly….nothing. No words. No ideas. No slices. I’ve struggled with that idea of being a “writer”. The whole “imposter syndrome” is alive and well inside my own head. Who wants to read this? This is silly. This is crap. And I know I’ve missed out on spectacular writing this month. That’s what the challenge is always about. Anyway, as the challenge is finishing up, I just wanted to congratulate those who made it ..read more

This is post number 1,000 post on The Life of Conflicted Teacher!! #damnthatisalotofwriting It is fitting that this milestone happens on another milestone, our 30th wedding anniversary. #damnthatisalongtime It’s been quite a ride. We started dating on my birthday in 1991, engaged in 1993, wedding in 1994 and, there it goes! We were in Minnesota, Alaska, Missouri, and Iowa. I’ve been in 5 different school districts. My wife has been in four districts, stayed home with our daughters for five years, and worked her way up in Headstart, starting as a co-teacher and ending as an educational speciali ..read more

Another slice of my various tastes in stuff. Before I dive in, a question for all of you who might read this slice: What do you use for a podcast app? Google Podcasts is going away (booooooo!!!) and I need something new. I asked this on Twitter and got some great responses, but many were for iPhones and we are *gasp* Android users. Any recommendations, leave them in the comment section, please! Some of my favorites: Washed Up Walkon: I’ve written about them a lot. Three former walk-one players from the University of Iowa give their take on Iowa football. They’ve got some great insights into t ..read more

Dear Iowa Women’s Basketball, This has been a while in coming. Today seemed most fitting after that amazing comeback against Nebraska to mark a three-peat for your program in the Big 10 Women’s Tournament. In the background of our lives, basketball has been with us. My wife and I coached varsity basketball with a run and gun team in Alaska. We moved to Missouri, and I coached a couple of middle school teams and started learning what it meant to coach. Our paths took us back to Iowa in 1999 for us to see a new era in Iowa Women’s Basketball begin with hire of Coach Bluder. We’ve taken a number ..read more

Well, I missed yesterday and I’m not melting down. #awwwyoulittleboyisgrowingup Hush. Actually, it was just busy all day long. The morning was school stuff. I wish I could say I’d get up at 5:00 AM to write, but not a chance. If I cannot get up early to get my chubby butt moving, I’m not going to it to write. My motivation for exercise has not been good, but honestly, my urge to write has been much better. Either way, early morning is not where it’s at right now. The morning at school wasn’t much better. We had an early out for the end of the quarter, so our special times were all messed up. I ..read more

Daily writing prompt What activities do you lose yourself in? View all responses This is a great prompt from WordPress for a Slice of Life! When I read this today, I came up with three things that just seemed to pop out at me: Reading: I can get lost in a good book for HOURS! I’m rereading the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini and am finding them as good now as I did a decade ago. The reason for that, is he’s got another book in the series, Murtagh, out! So, I need to refresh my memory on what Eragon and Saphira were able to do in the first four books. Going to bed at night, I’ve los ..read more

I know everyone’s been looking forward to this post! Ok, I’m the only person who’s been looking forward to this post has been me, but I’m good with that too! #stop So, first, Pitbull. #pitbull Now, some of his stuff is pretty much boobs and butts, however, he’s got a remix out with Dolly Parton called “Powerful Women”. He did a song during 2020 called “I Believe That We Will Win – A World Anthem”. Both are great songs with positive message behind them, so of course, they are both on my list of favorites. I’ve found some pretty good music on TikTok of all places. First, I’ve found a morning sho ..read more

I’ve waited too long to write a decent blog today, so this will be my one garbage take for this month. It was a long freaking day. I’ve had something in my system since the first week of January. I’ve been to urgent care and they said “virus” which is code for “we can’t do anything for you”. #ugh I’ve had this nasty cough since then, but was improving. I completed my fitness challenge last month with it, so was feeling pretty good until last Monday. I spent the week popping cold medicine pills because my head felt three feet thick and the stuff I was coughing up, yuck. I’ve “done my own resear ..read more

It’s been a good day. Slow to get up, went to school to rearrange my room, got home to watch the Iowa Women’s Basketball team win against Ohio State, and now this. I’ll pick from yesterday’s post. I had 15 native students and 3 white students, something very similar to what I’m teaching now. They were the most awesome students I’ve taught. Funny, smart, really wanting to learn things, and most of all, open to us white people (I say this in jest, but I’ll talk about it in a little bit). They wanted to know me both as a teacher and a person. We’d have students show up at our apartment and they’d ..read more