The Paragraph Stacker

The Paragraph Stacker

Confessions of a smart alec: A former class clown’s apology to his middle school teachers

A former reporter turned teacher reflects on ADHD, grief and the lessons after the jokes.

Daniel P. Finney's avatar
Daniel P. Finney
Sep 07, 2025
∙ Paid
The former Winterset High School was the middle school when columnist Daniel Finney attended from 1985 to 1988. It’s now market-rate apartments.

An open letter to all my former teachers:

I’m sorry. Not the half-hearted “sorry” I offered in middle school to avoid a call home, but a genuine apology for the chaos I caused as class clown.

Back then, laughter w…

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