I love October in the Northeast. Green turns to gold and orange, and deep plum. The outside world is burnished a tawny brown. The smell of pumpkins and apples is in the air. Fall is a time to celebrate the harvest and the bounty it brings. The leaves blow off the trees heralding the coming of winter and the anticipation of snow.
Category: Celebrations
Joy-filled Reading
Learning to read is difficult work. There are 26 letters, each having one or more sounds. Reading is blending the sounds into words to make meaning. It is a long and slow process. And I recall many faces filled with joy as they read their first words and sentences It was a complete light of satisfaction upon young faces.
Start with Hope
Lately, I worry more and more about our children. They're growing up in a world that is increasingly violent & divided. Children have more worries & much more anxiety. That is why it's so important to offer hope and joy in small things.
Small Joy: Things to Look Forward to
But the truth is I’m mentally and physically exhausted. Where writing usually energizes me, I found it to be a daunting task. So I let myself take a break, and now I find it’s hard to get back into the flow. What do I write about? What uplifting story can I tell? I do not know.
Recharging
My energy is swiftly dwindling, and I’m trying to hold on to the little bit of reserve that I’ve been hiding inside myself. I find I need that reserve to be able to wrap up the year, and to get ready for summer re-energizing. I saw this butterfly mural in the town where I work, and I asked my friend, Molly, to take a picture of me with wings. I thought this image would help to remind myself of the importance of self-care.
Sew Easy: Lessons in Perseverance
There are three rites of passage in the Wonder Studio: using the hot glue gun, working a hack saw, and learning to sew. The joyful expressions on students’ faces as they learn these skills are salve for my weary teacher’s soul.
Daughter, Mother – Spring, Summer
As Mother’s Day approaches, I. have been thinking a lot about my mom, Vivian, who died at the age of 91, almost ten years ago. She was a dress designer, seamstress, artist, and teacher. What I didn’t know until this week, was that she was a poet. Poetry was my father’s realm, so I guess she kept her poetry writing private.
No Reason to Fear the Wind
Spring is normally a busy time for me at school. I’m in charge of standardized testing, grade placement, and wrapping up all student support documents for the year. Everything in my entire being yearns to resist this regimentation. Rather, my body and mind desperately need to relax, refresh, and find things to celebrate.
Inside the Wonder Studio: Life in Miniature
This month in the Wonder Studio, the 5th graders have been working on a small scale. No one mandated that they do so. They all just started making tiny projects.
Object Connections: Janet Wong’s Poetry
Last week, I had an opportunity to attend a poetry workshop presented by Janet Wong and sponsored by Rutgers University Center for Literacy Development, which is directed by Dr. Lesley Morrow.
Word Dancer: Literature, the Arts, & Education 