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Josie the dog lived her life in all the very best ways

Josie the dog lived her life in all the very best ways

Brilliant sunshine. Blue skies adorned with a few wispy clouds. A carpet of green grass. Mild temperature typical of a late spring afternoon. The day appeared perfect in every way, and for that they were all so grateful. They spread the quilt beneath the backyard shade tree and invited her to join them there. She moved among them for a while, welcoming their tender pets. Then she moved to the grass where she sat and eventually lay on the grass…

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Meager or not, efforts show how far apart we aren’t

Meager or not, efforts show how far apart we aren’t

I learned over and over again that I didn’t have to have all the answers to teach detention center kids. I learned I wasn’t there to fix a single one of them. And I learned sometimes what seemed like my most meager efforts uplifted these kids’ souls.  Our states and capital lessons started this way. At detention, I looked for activities appropriate for the varying ages and academic levels of my students. I wanted lessons to draw them together despite…

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School’s draw helped Andrew show signs of brighter days

School’s draw helped Andrew show signs of brighter days

Andrew* was a challenge. His behavior wasn’t rude, aggressive or violent. He just refused to come to school. BY NANCY KIDD For reasons unknown to me, Andrew chose to stay in his room rather than participate in the school program. That meant he could not join the other detainees for recreational activities, special programs or group meals. He was alone in his dreary cell — a thin vinyl-covered mattress atop a raised concrete platform/bed and a stainless steel toilet and…

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Dream job developed when all signs pointed to ‘no’

Dream job developed when all signs pointed to ‘no’

BY NANCY KIDD Like many of the kids I taught in detention, before I first walked through the door, I never, ever dreamed I’d end up there. And once inside, just as many of them did, I found myself wondering, “What in the world have I gotten myself into? Is this a dream?” It’s funny how life sometimes unfolds in unexpected ways. After college, I taught for two years but then moved back to Champaign-Urbana to be near family and…

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