by California Casualty | Peace Officers |
Today’s featured blogger has one of the most interesting journeys into the Law Enforcement world… we just have to share.
First things first. Her name is Suzie Ivy…
(Hi, Suzie!)
When Suzie was 45-years-young, she decided to enter the police academy. Now, I can’t speak for you guys, but I gotta say I think that is pretty incredible.
And that was just the beginning. Suzie was also the first female officer in her town (girls rule!). Not even two measly years later, she was a bona fide detective.
Best part of it all?
Suzie’s ongoing journey is chronicled. Head to her blog and you can hear all the ups and downs on her road to mid-life-restructuring.
In the meantime, we wanted to know more about Ms. Ivy as a blogger! Check out our interview with her…
So, Suzie, how would you describe your blog?
My blog is the happy, sad, and hilarious side of law enforcement.
What do you hope to accomplish with ‘The Bad Luck Detective’?
To make people see police officers as real people. We are at times good, bad, and ugly but we are human. We laugh and cry the same as everyone else.
Why did you start it?
I needed a way to relieve stress from work. I’m a detective specializing in sex crimes. Quite often my cases get me down and I needed a place away from work where I can connect with people who help me find reasons to laugh.
When was that (starting the blog)?
Two years ago.
What’s important about the blog- to you as a writer?
I feel blogging has saved my sanity many times and it’s important for everyone in law enforcement to have an outlet where they can by honest and share their true feelings. It’s a job we can’t help but take home and if we don’t find a way to escape for a short time our careers will end too soon or we will be miserable. A life balance is key to our success.
Do you have a favorite–or least favorite– thing to write about?
My favorite thing to write about is anything that will make someone laugh. It’s usually at my own expense because, like all cops, I make stupid mistakes. My least favorite thing to write about is officers dying in the line of duty, sex crimes and domestic violence. I’ve written these posts because we need more public awareness.
Has anything surprised you in this blogging experience?
First, the fact that people actually read and follow my blog is amazing and exhilarating. So many of the comments I receive from readers put a smile on my face or make me laugh out loud. By sharing my less than stellar moments in LE, readers are willing to share theirs. Every comment gives me inspiration.
What has been your best experience as a blogger?
Meeting new people and making wonderful friends is beyond a doubt the highlight of blogging.
Have you learned anything?
That it’s okay to share sad times too. When I first started my blog, I was determined to always make people laugh. I’ve found that when I share my unhappy moments, my readers offer incredible support.
Can you share with us something funny about yourself?
It doesn’t matter how busy I am at work, I’m called to catch snakes. I have no fear of them but most of the officers I work with are petrified when it comes to these amazing creatures. I slid a small garden snake under the bathroom door to get a fellow officer back for a practical joke he played on me. He stood on the toilet screaming until we got the door unlocked and I collected the snake. I’m sure retribution will come my way and I waiting.
So, Suzie, if you win the Battle of the Blogs, to which charity will you donate your $200 winnings and why?
100 Club of Arizona. They don’t just provide support for the families of fallen officers they provide grants to police agencies to help with safety equipment and keep us alive. They are awesome!
We loved learning more about the amazing Miss Suzie Ivy almost as much as we love reading her blog. This Bad Luck Detective is also on Twitter and Facebook. To read her blog CLICK HERE! To Vote for her blog, CLICK HERE!
by California Casualty | Educators |
Today, we are so proud to profile our first TOP EDUCATION blog!
Not only is today’s blogger an amazing Kindergarten teacher, she is also competing as a top blog to win a charity donation to benefit one of her students.
Katie Mense, we are in awe.
Enough about us.
This is Katie’s blog…
It’s called Little Warriors. And it’s adorable.
After spending a little (okay, a lot) of time on the blog, we wanted to know more about Katie, her class, and why she took her experience to the web. Here’s what we learned…
Katie, how would you describe your blog?
Little Warriors is a Kindergarten blog and a place to gain and share teaching ideas, tips and materials. I love to share tons of pictures from my kinder classroom and have lots of free downloads available!
I have to ask. Where did the name come from?
The name of my blog “Little Warriors” comes from our school mascot. Our mascot is the Warriors and since I teach little kids (Kindergarteners), I thought the name “Little Warriors” was cute and appropriate.
You cover a lot of ground on your blog. But what is the focus or mission?
What I hope to achieve through my blog is just to share my ideas, resources and “things that work” for me in my classroom with other teachers. If a teacher comes across my blog and finds just one idea or resource that they can take and use in their classroom, then it is all so worth it to me! I hope that I can inspire others like some of the other bloggers have inspired me.
How did it all start?
It all started one night when I was searching online for some new, fun and creative ideas to use in my classroom. I stumbled across this totally amazing teacher’s blog, which led me to other teaching blogs. I was so incredibly grateful and inspired by their sharing, that I wanted to share some of my own ideas with others as well!
How long ago was that?
I started Little Warriors last February. So, it’s been about a year and 4 months.
What’s your favorite thing to write about?
I just love writing about new ideas and things that I have tried in my classroom. (Whether it’s one of my own ideas, or an idea I may have “borrowed” from another blogger.) I LOVE adding LOTS of pictures to go with what I’m posting about. I think it’s important for readers to not only read about, but actually SEE how to implement an idea. I LOVE visiting other teachers’ classrooms and getting new ideas from them. I feel like through blogging, I’m giving others the opportunity to “see” inside my classroom and take any ideas that they might find useful.
How would you describe your blog community?
The teacher blog community is absolutely AMAZING!!!!! I love them all so much and have gained many new friendships through blogging. I have been VERY surprised with how generous people are with their personally created materials and ideas!!!
I have also been impressed, grateful and humbled by the support that other bloggers and my amazing followers have given me! There are so many wonderful people out there that take the time to thank you for what you are contributing. I’ve gotten so many nice comments and emails from people just thanking me and who appreciate what my blog is about, that it makes me want to give more! It’s also an amazing feeling when another blogger recognizes an idea or product that you’ve created by posting about it on their blog. The support system in blogland is truly unbelievable! I’m so proud to be a part of it!
What has been your best experience as a blogger?
I have to say that my best experience as a blogger has to be the friendships and relationships that I have made. I have met so many generous, amazing and inspiring people through blogging. It’s so nice to have met other teachers that you can communicate with to get advice, opinions and feedback on issues that you might be facing in your own teaching.
What have you learned from the other bloggers?
Oh my goodness!!!! I can’t even begin to express the things that I have learned through blogging! Teaching blogs have brought my career to a whole new level. I thought I was a good teacher before I discovered and got involved in teaching blogs. Through the things I have learned, inspiration that I’ve been given, ideas I have picked up, and knowledge and resources that I’ve gained through this experience has made me 100 times the teacher that I used to be! Every time I blog hop through teaching blogs, I learn something new. It’s like going to the best workshop of your life every single day!
If you win, who will receive your charity donation?
I would like to donate my winnings to https://www.debra.org/. Debra stands for the Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) Research Association of America.
There is a little girl that goes to our school named Mareyna, that has EB. She is definitely a “Little Warrior.” The simple way to explain what she has is that she doesn’t have the fibers that keep the layers of her skin together so, with any rough touch, she blisters. Her Mom has to pop the blisters every night. If they break open she has raw skin that is similar to a burn patient’s skin.
Mareyna gets these blisters even from simple, everyday tasks like: her clothes rubbing against her, walking and through the movement and pressure of writing with a pencil. She has visible sores on her body EVERY day of her life. But, Mareyna is a little girl who you will NEVER hear complain. She works through the pain each and every day and is a very tough and brave little girl.
Mareyna actually has the least severe type of EB. The more severe people do not have the top layer at all and have to be totally bandaged. Many insurance companies don’t cover the “bandages” because they say they are “just bandages.” But, there are actually special bandages that are needed and a month bill for them is $5,000. Usually one parent has to stop working to care for the child, so the income is cut. Debra also had a wound care clearing house where people can get some of the bandages for free through donations. Debra also puts on a conference every other year to bring the families together and better educate them about this condition. They are working on a cure through bone marrow transplants.
(Katie wrote an awesome blog post about EB and little Mareyna. Check it out here)
We’ve had such a great experience getting to know Katie. It’s no wonder her blog has taken off and has such a great community around it. If you want to vote for Little Warriors, click here. To check out more of Katie’s materials and postings, click here! Thanks, Katie!
by California Casualty | Firefighters |
To prepare for our Battle of the Blogs, I’ve spent the last few weeks combing the Fire & EMS blogosphere.
And you guys, there are a ton (and I mean a ton) of Fire & EMS blogs out there.
Today, we are so proud to spotlight one of our top blogs: The Fire Critic!
This is Rhett Fleitz, aka ‘The Fire Critic’
Rhett is a bit of a blog veteran. ‘The Fire Critic’ isn’t his first rodeo. He’s been blogging since 2005, has authored multiple blogs, and written 1300 articles for ‘The Fire Critic’ alone! Exploring his blogs, we had to learn more about this blog rockstar. Check it out:
So, Rhett, how would you describe your blog?
My blog is a fire service blog hosted at FireEMSBlogs.com and ranks among the top fire blogs in the World. It is about anything and everything firefighting including fire based EMS occasionally.
What woudl you say is the focus of the Fire Critic?
The focus of my blog is to give my readers interesting articles to read. I do write a good bit myself, but I also feature other links, videos, and content from other blogs around the World. I try to use my network and my reach to help my readers find new blogs and help other blogs get new readers. I try to share the stuff I enjoy reading myself. I write in all different kinds of ways. Everything is an experiment for me. Sometimes I write without offering my opinion on a topic so I don’t sway others opinions. I offer posts that include the good, bad, humorous, sad, and ugly of the fire service.
Why did you start this particular blog?
I saw a void in blogging when it came to the fire service and filled it with the uniqueness of what The Fire Critic is all about. Even though “The Fire Critic” was simply the name of the blog, it has actually become somewhat of an alter ego. So many people know me as The Fire Critic and might not realize what my real name is.
How long have you been writing on this particular blog?
I began The Fire Critic in June 2009. That includes almost 1300 articles which works out to a little over a post a day.
What’s your favorite thing to write about?
I really enjoy writing about great articles by other bloggers and writers and helping share their message. That is probably the most rewarding. It is great hearing from other bloggers thanking me for sharing their stuff.
What about your least favorite?
I dislike writing about Line of Duty Deaths. I still find honor in sharing information about our fallen, I would just rather not have any LODD’s to write about.
What is your blog ‘community’ like
The network surrounding fire service blogs is immense. Every day, more firefighters are finding out about fire bloggers and starting to follow more and more. The content created by fire bloggers rivals that of any original content on the main fire service web sites. I get my inspiration from other bloggers and firefighters. I find my motivation to keep on doing it through the communication between myself and my readers as well as the occasional out of the blue comment of thanks for doing what I do.
What has been your best experience as a blogger?
Probably the relationships I have forged just through blogging, email, twitter, and facebook. It is amazing how I might meet someone in person after knowing them online for years. Typically once we meet in person it is like we have known each other personally for a long time. If you blog, people get to know you…You kind of become a “celebrity” at times. People might have read about you for years and when they meet you they talk to you like you should know them too. I have a terrible memory and hate it when this happens. It makes it tough for me at times.
Have you learned anything through your blogging experiences?
I have learned that it isn’t worth it to try to please everyone…it simply isn’t possible. I have helped so many fire bloggers get started, one thing I always tell them up front is that it takes time to get readership and you have to stick with it if you want to succeed. If they aren’t willing to put the time in, they won’t succeed.
If you win the TOP BLOG competition, to which charity will you donate your $200 winnings?
The National Firefighters Endowment because I believe in what they are doing and I want to see them grow into a huge success that will help fire departments across the United States.
Is there anywhere on the web where people can keep up with you, other than the blog?
Yes! Facebook: https://facebook.com/firecritic or Twitter: https://twitter.com/firecritic.
Like what you hear? Cast a vote for the Fire Critic here! Or go check out some of his latest blog posts!
by California Casualty | Educators |
The recent story of a student who was given an “award” for having the most homework excuses has generated a great debate across the social media world.
Cassandra Garcia, an Arizona third grader, received the “Catastrophe” award for having the most excuses for not turning in her homework during a classroom awards ceremony. According the Garcia’s teacher, the award was a joke – but it has raised the ire of both the student’s mother as well as a huge number of internet users who are watching the scenario unfold.
This raises a series of questions:
- Who is at fault? Did the teacher exercise questionable judgment, or was this an attempt at motivating a child who regularly failed to hand in assignments?
- Does this constitute bullying by the teacher? Was this an attempt to humiliate the student or to create a change in a negative behavior pattern?
- What is the role of the parent? Should this story have even made it to the media? Does the parent have any responsibility for the student’s lack of homework performance?
I’m not ready to completely absolve the teacher because I don’t know that publicly discussing the issue was the best approach. However, I do know that if I was that third grade student, embarrassment at school would be nothing compared to what I would have to deal with when I got home.
If I was ever recognized for my lack of work, my parents and I–not my parents and the newspaper– would be exchanging some words.
I think, ultimately, this leads us to a larger issue, which is the increased need for teachers to not only instruct, but also take responsibility for lessons that should most likely be taught at home. Every year, we hear more and more stories of parents who aren’t taking an active role in their child’s education. In this scenario, this mother contacted the media regarding this ‘award’ instead of focusing on the real problem: that her child simply wasn’t doing her home work.
