Tag: reflection

• The Day Camp Diaries

  Aug 11

  When you hear “summer camp,” you might picture kids whisked away in vans, lugging haphazardly packed duffel bags, shipped off to some far-flung campground for a summer of “character building”… more ›

• Mischief Monkeys

  Aug 9

  Every kid, no matter the generation, knows mischief. It’s written deep in our DNA—the most primal way we learn as humans. It’s how we explore, how we test boundaries. It’s… more ›

• Nostalgia on a Stick

  Aug 8

  Growing up, summer in Calexico had its own soundtrack—somewhere a screen door slammed, a dog barked three streets over, and a radio played Ramón Ayala so faintly you couldn’t tell… more ›

• Morning Ritual: Still Not Funny, Dad

  Aug 6

  Mornings during the school year were something of a production for me. I wasn’t exactly a morning curmudgeon, but I wouldn’t have called myself a ray of sunshine either.  My… more ›

• Espresso Yourself: Why We’re All Just Addicted to Productivity

  Aug 5

  An Over-Caffeinated Reflection on the Hustle Culture Buzz We live in a world brewed for speed—where every second counts and productivity is the ultimate pick-me-up. Like espresso shots in a… more ›

• Storytelling with a Camera

  Aug 3

  Photography is weird. You’ve got the people who treat their cameras like they’re nuclear launch codes—checking every dial, obsessing over ISO like it’s some secret recipe. Then there are those… more ›

• The Exploits of an Over-Active Neurodivergent Mind

  Aug 3

  I’m good at a lot of things.I’ve always been good at things.(Not bragging… just being honest.) Drawing. Painting. Sketching.Music. Hands-on tinkering (mainly taking things apart just to know). Cooking. Eating.And—surprise… more ›

• “What’s in a Name?” A Late Show Monologue for the Mispronounced, the Well-Meaning, and the Forever Traviesos

  Aug 2

  You ever notice how the first day of school feels like the opening scene of a courtroom drama? The teacher walks in with the roster, everyone’s watching, and the tension… more ›

• “Just Coffee” A Mini Monologue for the Over-Caffeinated, Slightly-Overwhelmed Middle-Aged Soul

  Aug 1

  So I walk into Starbucks.Already, mistake number one.It’s not a coffee shop. It’s a lifestyle temple.There’s music playing that sounds like a cat whispering into a synthesizer.Everyone smells faintly of… more ›

• The Paradox of Connection

  Aug 1

  You’d think, as a high school dean, I’d have a crystal-clear picture of youth culture. I mean, I see it all—hallway drama, TikTok choreography in the quad, debates over whose… more ›

• An Educator’s Love Letter to Liquid Sanity

  Jul 31

  Let’s get one thing straight: coffee isn’t a luxury for teachers. It’s a survival mechanism. A coping strategy. A legal form of self-medication brewed in Keurig pods and staff lounge… more ›

• Finding Me

  Jul 31

  There was a time when my creative spirit showed up everywhere—like glitter at an arts and crafts party. It got into everything. Teaching, storytelling, even rearranging the spice rack felt… more ›

• More Me Than You Think: A Creator’s Spirit

  Jul 31

  We all carry worlds inside our heads—some loud, some quiet, some a little strange.This is mine: a peek behind the curtain at the curiosity, the quirks, and the caffeine-fueled chaos… more ›

• Year 26

  Jul 31

  25 years as an educator—and at least a dozen more before that coaching, mentoring, running camps, leading arts programs, and engaging in general kid-centered monkey business (some of which may… more ›

• What Writing Looks Like (for Me)

  Jul 27

  I’ve always been drawn to creating things—music, sketches, photos, splashes of color and sound—but writing? That one snuck up on me. I didn’t grow up thinking I’d be a writer.… more ›