It is a typical Monday. I sip on a cup of French vanilla coffee, inhale the rich soothing aroma, then head off to my first class of the week. Every morning for about two and a half hours, I observe and support young children from three to ten years old.  Many people might find this job daunting, but the more I do it, the more I realize I was born to do this. I love solving problems. I love connecting with kids. I guess that’s why I have been able to teach for over forty years without feeling burned out and uninspired. The kids always find a way to kindle my curiosity.
Category: Imagination & Creativity
The Art of Assessment
In schools across the country and probably across the world, September means assessments. We give all kinds of assessments to get to know our students, or should I say to get to know their academic strengths and weaknesses. I don’t think assessments have anything to do with getting to know our students.
A Fresh Look at Lists
I reluctantly shift away from summer – the beach, the mountains, my independent reading time, the sun. And slowly I enter September already weary from thoughts of all I have to do, all I must do, all the little things that await me.
Mainely Summer
Mainely Summer - Every year except for the last COVID year, my husband and I spend a week each summer photographing Acadia National Park and the Down East Maine Coast.Â
Wildflower Power
We are coming upon the last days of summer. For me, there is something bittersweet about that. I find myself holding on to the warm golden promise of summer. I don’t want it to end. No matter, how much I enjoy the fall, summer is a time that signals renewal and hope. There is so … Continue reading Wildflower Power
Week on the Water
August calls me to come to the water, and so I obey.  Salt water and sand - just what I need to slow down, reflect, and write. I take my camera along to record the images that stand out to me.
Learn Something
This summer, I have been concentrating on healing my body and spirit, which has entailed a lot of physical therapy and many walks in gardens and parks. Usually, I read a lot during the summer but this summer I have only read a couple of books so far. I decided to jump-start my reading by turning to a classic, The Once and Future King by T.H. White. I knew of the legend of King Arthur mainly from the Disney animated film, The Sword in the Stone. I loved that story because it was filled with hope, faith, and possibility. It helped me to become braver and more courageous. It gave me hope that even a small person could grow into someone who could right wrongs and defeat evil. As an anxious, insecure child, this legend especially appealed to me.
Poetry Found!
I have regularly used found poetry to introduce children to the wonders of verse. Using printed text from which to construct a poem gives the young poet a firm foundation on which to build. It eliminates the fearful and daunting blank page. Found poetry is created by selecting and arranging words in order from previously … Continue reading Poetry Found!
Mountain Meditation
Something about the Green Mountains makes me all at once calm and joyful. The rolling valleys dotted with farms and the graceful sloping mountains in the distance give me space for my soul to soar.
Color-Curious
This summer, I am color-curious. I look out my living room window to the meadow and woods beyond. I congratulate myself for getting through the drab, bare winter into the spring that exploded with golden forsythia, and now unfolds to summer surrounded by all shades of verdant green.
Word Dancer: Literature, the Arts, & Education 