The Hartley Sentinel-The Everly/Royal News - Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties

It's September and kids are back in school. As a retired high school teacher, I always feel nostalgic this time of year as I remember the students. When they stepped into the building, the halls came alive. Some were excited, some were more hesitant, and all were wondering what would be expected of them that year. Most would meet those expectations and others would struggle. Unfortunately, some would fail.

It was those students, especially, that drew my attention, and I spent the final 15 years of my teaching career working with at-risk teens in an alternative high school setting. During m...