Ghosts Close to Home

I grew up in the Dallas suburb of Richardson. My family lived in an old house on an even older property, and every October we haunted the place with homemade decorations, spooky stories, and jump-scares. By a happy coincidence, I was born into my ghost-loving family on Halloween. My childhood consisted of birthday parties where my friends and I were the victims of my family’s backyard haunted trails, and my young adulthood consisted of me taking my turn behind the masks to scare the younger generation. But when we weren’t haunting our home, someone or something else was.

Several sheds dotted the acre behind our house. Strange things happened in more than one of these old buildings over the years, but most of the spooky encounters were concentrated at the one on the very back of our lot. We referred to this structure as “the ghost shed” for good reason. Spooky noises, unexplained shadowy shapes, items going missing and turning up later in unlikely places… these were the types of occurrences you could expect around the ghost shed in October, sometimes even in late September.

The ghost shed as it looked when I was a kid

When I was a kid, my friends and I would wait until the sun went down and then psych ourselves up to sneak out in the darkness and throw rocks at the ghost shed to try to make the ghost come out. I feel bad about this pastime now. Throwing rocks at anyone, living or dead, isn’t nice. I wouldn’t have blamed our ghost if it had swooped out of the shed and stolen our obnoxious little souls away. But the deceased must have the patience of saints because he never did that. Mostly he ignored us, choosing to make himself known on his terms and at his convenience rather than ours. Once in awhile, he let out a creak or sent a black shadow rising out of the ground or tossed a pebble or two back at us. Any one of those things sent us screaming back to the safety of the house.

Recently I’ve been thinking about our ghost again. One reason he’s been on my mind lately is because I was hired to write a fourth book in Arcadia’s Spooky America series: The Ghostly Tales of Dallas. I loved working on this project. Although I had my own ghost to play with when I was a kid, I didn’t know about most of the other spirits haunting the towns nearby. I enjoyed learning about the graveyard ghosts, haunted hotels, and other spooky sites surrounding Dallas.

The Ghostly Tales of Dallas comes out May 1, 2023!

For instance, did you know that Old City Park is haunted? I certainly didn’t when I went on field trips there in elementary school. And more than one nighttime driver has been lured in by the Lady of White Rock Lake. And McKinney has more ghosts than you can shake a stick at. (But I don’t recommend shaking sticks at ghosts.)

Another reason why I’ve been thinking about restless spirits is because I moved back to my hometown of Richardson last summer, and I’m renting a house that backs up to my parents’ property where I grew up. Which means, I currently live right behind the ghost shed. As I sit on my back porch, sipping my coffee and reading my book, I can’t help but wonder… is the ghost still there? Does he remember me throwing rocks at him? I hope not.

The ghost shed today, as seen from my back porch

I no longer throw rocks at ghosts, but I’m still just as curious about them. I’d love to share what I’ve learned about the spirits that haunt my hometown. The Ghostly Tales of Dallas comes out on May 1st. You can purchase it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble or Arcadia’s website, but if you’d like a signed, personalized copy, you can buy one directly from me. Just contact me. You can pay via PayPal or Venmo or mail me a check, and I’ll send the book(s) directly to you. If you’re a teacher or librarian in the Dallas area and would like me to come do a writing workshop or author reading for your students, let me know! I have a variety of presentations available for 5th-8th grades and am happy to work within your school’s budget.

Spring may seem like an odd time for the release of a book of ghost stories, but I think it’s perfect. If you pick up The Ghostly Tales of Dallas in May, you’ll have plenty of time to read it and get to know the area’s ghosts before you go sightseeing this fall. After all, you don’t want to wander into the Dallas Arboretum or Adolphus Hotel during October without knowing what might be waiting for you there… right?

***

Can’t wait until May 1st? Need to satisfy your ghost story craving NOW?
Check out my first three books in the Spooky America series!

Interview With a Teacher #12: Math Teacher

Thank you so much to “Math Teacher” for participating in my interviews! And a big thank you to ALL the math teachers out there for teaching students this difficult and important skill. The few times I had to sub a math class, I ended up sweaty and the students ended up confused.

* * *

A Note About These Interviews:

I taught seventh grade for almost twenty years and was constantly surprised at the difference between what friends, family, parents, neighbors, and community members imagined my job was like and what it actually was like. The few times I had the privilege of inviting a friend or family member to visit my classroom, they always left wide-eyed and exhausted. The purpose of these interviews is to allow the world a glimpse inside the lives of current educators. Now that I’ve quit teaching, I want to do what I can to support all the teachers still fighting the good fight, and I don’t want to forget what life is like inside a school.

All questions are optional. For confidentiality and privacy purposes, the name of the teacher’s school will not be published, and they may choose how they refer to themselves. (Full name, initials only, or even simply “Teacher.”) Participants have been asked to refrain from using student names or to change names.

* * *

Interview With Math Teacher:

This was Math Teacher’s photo choice, but something tells me they’re way better than just “okay” at this crazy job.
  1. What is today’s date?

    February 24, 2023

  2. How old are you?

    35

  3. How many years (total) have you been teaching?

    11

  4. In what city and state do you teach?

    Austin, Texas

  5. What is your current salary?

    (did not answer)

  6. What grade(s) and subject(s) do you currently teach?

    7th Grade Math

  7. How many students do you teach total?

    190

  8. How many conference periods do you have per day?

    1

  9. If you teach multiple classes, how many students are in your smallest class and your largest class?

    Smallest = 23, Largest = 33

  10. Tell us about your day today. 

    Today I taught three different lessons, called parents regarding behaviors in class, spoke to students regarding teen drama, watched an episode of the office during lunch to regulate after a particular hard period, made 100000000 copies and then graded 190 assignments. After work, I am attending family dinner at my mom’s house and then wrapping three birthday presents for the three birthday parties we are attending tomorrow.

  11. What’s the best thing about being a teacher?

    The students

  12. What’s the hardest thing about being a teacher?

    The students

  13. What one thing would make your job better? I’m sure there are many, but if you could choose only one, which would have the biggest impact?

    If admin would step in and defend us when we are dealing with combative parents. A simple “Please do not speak to my staff in that tone” would go a long way to make me feel actually appreciated and valued.

  14. How satisfied are you with your current job? (1 = not at all satisfied, 5 = very satisfied)

    2

  15. As of right now, do you plan to continue teaching next year?

    No

Teacher, I want to tell you something, and I want you to listen. You are amazing. You are creative and smart and hardworking and beautiful. You are valued by those who are paying attention, and you deserve so much more than you receive from society. You are a superhero, and the world is a better place with you in it. Thank you for everything you do for your students, your community, and your fellow teachers. I appreciate you and this glimpse into your world. ❤️

* * *

If you are a current teacher who would like to be interviewed for my blog or if you know a teacher I should interview, contact me!

Interview With a Teacher #11: Ms. D.

A big thank you to Ms. D for being the first teacher to participate in my second round of interviews. I admit, I got tired just reading about your day. I never thought I was cut out to be an elementary teacher, and this interview confirms it. Your students (and their parents) are so fortunate to have you caring about their mental and emotional well-being. I wish I could gift you more sick days. ❤️

* * *

A Note About These Interviews:

I taught seventh grade for almost twenty years and was constantly surprised at the difference between what friends, family, parents, neighbors, and community members imagined my job was like and what it actually was like. The few times I had the privilege of inviting a friend or family member to visit my classroom, they always left wide-eyed and exhausted. The purpose of these interviews is to allow the world a glimpse inside the lives of current educators. Now that I’ve quit teaching, I want to do what I can to support all the teachers still fighting the good fight, and I don’t want to forget what life is like inside a school.

All questions are optional. For confidentiality and privacy purposes, the name of the teacher’s school will not be published, and they may choose how they refer to themselves. (Full name, initials only, or even simply “Teacher.”) Participants have been asked to refrain from using student names or to change names.

* * *

Interview With Ms. D:

A bouquet of weeds, picked at recess and tied with a paper towel from the bathroom, left on Ms. D’s desk next to her lunch.
  1. What is today’s date?

    February 16, 2023

  2. How old are you?

    35

  3. How many years (total) have you been teaching?

    14

  4. In what city and state do you teach?

    Kyle, TX

  5. What is your current salary?

    $63,662

  6. What grade(s) and subject(s) do you currently teach?

    5th grade ELAR & social studies

  7. How many students do you teach total?

    47

  8. How many conference periods do you have per day?

    1

  9. If you teach multiple classes, how many students are in your smallest class and your largest class?

    Smallest: 22, Largest: 25

  10. Tell us about your day today. 

    After being up from 3-5 AM with my 1-year-old, I got out of bed at 6. I got to school at 7:05, running late as usual. At 9, we took our students on a tour of the middle school they will attend next year. The visit made my heart hurt a little since I spent my first 13 years teaching 7th and 8th grade, and I really do miss it. Our kids were so excited and nervous. One of my students puked in the bleachers. I hadn’t planned much for the rest of the day when we got back because I didn’t know how long the tour would take or how much time we’d have afterward, and that turned out to be a good thing. They had lots of questions when we returned like if they’d have recess, what locker rooms are like, and if they could date people in middle school. Then, I took them outside to write messages of kindness on the sidewalks with chalk. At least 5 of them wrote “Your awwsome” or some misspelled variation. At lunch I had leftovers from our Valentine’s party the previous day, and at recess a kid ran around me in circles for several minutes while 3 others told me about the drama they were having with a friend. I had to send at least 5 students to the nurse for various medical complaints — something is definitely going around. My partner teacher was sick too and had a sub, so my afternoon class came to me with all sorts of reports about bad behavior and complaints about each other. I spent the rest of my time with them playing counselor and having a whole-class meeting. We rolled out our “Peace Path” and I mediated conflicts ranging from “She patted me on the head, and I didn’t like it” to “They were talking when the sub told them to stop” to “I hated it when so-and-so tried to join my conversation with my friend.” After dismissal, I monitored students in the gym while they waited for parent pick-up.

  11. What’s the best thing about being a teacher?

    It truly never gets boring. There is something new and challenging every day, if not every minute. I am constantly learning something new about my content, a student, or myself, and I get to be creative to tackle new situations. Plus, kids keep me entertained! They are weird, funny, and they see the world in a totally different way.

  12. What’s the hardest thing about being a teacher?

    I could answer this question differently every year (or even every day), but in this moment, the hardest part is the way it drains my emotional resources. I expend so much patience and empathy throughout the day with my students, I have little for my own family or even myself by the time I get home. I feel wrung out.

  13. What one thing would make your job better? I’m sure there are many, but if you could choose only one, which would have the biggest impact?

    I suppose my biggest gripe right now (and for the last 4 years, really) is the lack of family leave offered to parents. I had been teaching for 9 years before I had my first child, and I had lots of PTO saved up. Between the births of my 2 children and their endless illnesses, I ended last year having used up all of my days and having money deducted from my paycheck for the days I didn’t have but “got” to use because of FMLA. I started this year with 10 days, and I had used 7 of them before November because of my kids getting sick. Taking personal time or mental health days is completely out of the question.

  14. How satisfied are you with your current job? (1 = not at all satisfied, 5 = very satisfied)

    2

  15. As of right now, do you plan to continue teaching next year?

    My answer to this question also changes every week, but right now I am seriously considering a different career for next year. However, I know with certainty that I will miss parts of teaching, and I do have hopes that I’ll want to return someday.

Teacher, I want to tell you something, and I want you to listen. You are amazing. You are creative and smart and hardworking and beautiful. You are valued by those who are paying attention, and you deserve so much more than you receive from society. You are a superhero, and the world is a better place with you in it. Thank you for everything you do for your students, your community, and your fellow teachers. I appreciate you and this glimpse into your world. ❤️

* * *

If you are a current teacher who would like to be interviewed for my blog or if you know a teacher I should interview, contact me!