I was walking by a favorite lily pond and happened upon this mother-daughter reading team lounging in a nearby meadow. The mother was reading with much gusto, taking on the voices of each character. I don’t know what book it was that she was reading, but her young daughter was totally entranced by the story. “Surely,” I thought to myself, “this child will grow up to be a fearless, wild reader.” They brought a smile to my face and joy to my old teacher heart.
Category: Champions
Of Nature, Books, & Faith
I am here another week in the Green Mountains. I came to restore my body. I have stayed to restore my spirit. In the valley surrounded by the mountains, I feel safe and secure. I can explore here. I can look up in wonder and find birds and butterflies, pink clouds at sunset, and fields of wildflowers in the morning light.
Power in our Words
As I reflect on how I can become a positive voice in my school community, I have been reading Paula Denton’s book, The Power of Our Words. It gives concrete advice to teachers on how to reflect on how they speak to create a positive classroom climate.
Friday at the Farm
I am not a gardener, but I love going to The Farm. It is my Zen place, my place to unwind and breathe; my place to meet a friend and laugh.
Happy Ending – New Beginning
I had prayed for years that Henry would be safe and live happily ever after. My prayers have been answered. His story is both a happy-ending and a new beginning. I am ever-grateful.
Embracing the Process
The process is the learning, and they are totally engaged and in the flow of creating. The key is to embrace the process.
April Poem #13: Memory of Spring
Observing the small birds like the juncos, chickadees, and sparrows, I wonder at their tenacity. Such small and fragile things, yet they weather winter snows, spring rainstorms, summer heat, and fierce fall winds. Where do they find their strength?
Growth Power
The funny thing, like plants, children don’t always grow in a straight line reaching directly up to sun, luscious and fragrant. Sometimes growth takes a hard, circuitous route and more time than expected.
Comes in Threes
To make writing interesting and strong, we are told to describe things in groups of threes. I wonder what the origins of this Rule of Three is from.
Invitation to Joy
I think that my major role as an educator is to invite joy. I have always thought this from the beginning of my career over forty years ago. Maybe it’s because I started teaching in a nursery school. You can’t help to be joyful when teaching two, three, and four-year-old children. They actually exude joie de vivre and happily invite adults into their world. It’s a great place to dwell.
Word Dancer: Literature, the Arts, & Education 