In the fall of 1998, I began teaching in the Fishburne Learning Center at Blue Ridge School alongside another teacher new to the school, Tony Brown. As we helped students with learning differences, I learned quickly that Tony has a booming voice and a heart the size of a canyon. I would also learn that […]
Gratitude Tour
Posted inInterviews
Gratitude Tour: Robert Pelle
One of my best buddies during my high school days was Wes Pelle. Wes remains today one of my best friends. Wes’s younger brother is Robert, one of my wife’s classmates. Like Wes, Robert was and still is a quiet, humble human being. Somehow, I convinced him to allow me to tell his story after […]
Posted inFeatured
Gratitude Tour: Peter Holland
In 2014, Peter Holland thought he’d write a book. Understand that he claims he was never much of a writer, but something meant enough to him that he wanted to write a book about it. In 2018, he published Blue Ridge School A Storied History: Vol. 1. It was Peter’s love letter to a school […]
Posted inInterviews
Gratitude Tour: Mary Richardson
One of the fond memories I have of Mary in high school was watching her perform on the South High School football field as a majorette in Knoxville, TN, from 1972 to 1975. She sparkled. I and everyone else could tell she wasn’t just going through the motions. In fact, Mary began preparing for her […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
Gratitude Tour: Buster Dunsmore
Buster. Funny first name, right? Especially for someone who has earned the right to go by his actual first name rather than a silly, southern nickname given to him when he was an infant. His actual first name is Hubert. He was the firstborn in my family and is a junior so his full name […]
Posted inHigh School
Gratitude Tour: Diane Haertel Â
As mentioned in my tribute to Bishop Joel Konzen, I learned of an English position at Marist School in Dunwoody, GA, in 1982, after teaching one year in the DeKalb County School system. It would mark a turning point of sorts for me. I attended public schools my entire life. My first two teaching positions […]
Posted inDo The Work
Gratitude Tour: William Scipio
I met William Scipio at the Brass Tap in Baltimore, MD, Wednesday evening, October 29, 2025. Though in the past he has typically paid for my dinner when we’ve gotten together, this time he allowed me to foot the bill. His beverage of choice was Wheatley vodka with sweet tea. I’ve grown close to many […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Gratitude Tour: Chuck Roser
I visited Chuck Roser, his husband Tom, and their sweet rescue dog Patsy in their Pittsboro, NC, home on Friday, September 12, 2025. As a gesture of my gratitude, I took Chuck and Tom a six pack of 12-ounce bottles of Kona Big Wave Liquid Aloha. I gave Patsy dog treats and gentle pats on […]