Play will help us think outside the box, work collaboratively with others, and spark new ways of doing ordinary things. I was given these gentle reminders several sweet and assertive Kindergarten girls during recess time one afternoon.
Category: reading
Practice Makes Permanent
I was especially interested in how the brain retains information and how best to strengthen students’ working memory. We learned that if teachers use both visualization and auditory methods to teach new material, the better students will remember the material.
Cultivating a “Make Lemonade” Mindset
Cultivating a “Make Lemonade” mindset is very appealing to me. I work with children who have learning differences and developing this kind of mindset is essential to them keeping motivated and engaged. I want to provide them with a path that says, “Okay, it’s hard for you to do this one way. What other ways can you create to help yourself? What can you do with what you know to be successful?” Presenting children with a “Make Lemonade” path, is very empowering.
Sandcastle Summer
I would build sandcastles in my home state of New Jersey, but would also build them on our family vacations in California, Massachusetts, and Florida. The sand quality of each state was very different, ranging from sugar white to pebble-dense smoky gray. It didn’t matter the quality or color of the sand, I just loved to imagine and build.
What is Writing? – The Work of Lynda Barry
Knowledge is power, and reading is the main way to gain knowledge. This is something that was instilled in me from a young age. And though throughout my childhood, reading took hard work, I became an avid reader. I loved that reading took me away from my suburban life and transported me to so many different places and experiences. Reading made me a writer.
Pomodoro Fresco: A Love Story
My heritage is Italian, so naturally I love tomatoes. I’m sure there are people of Italian heritage who don’t like tomatoes, but I haven’t found one yet. My love of tomatoes surely came from my grandfathers, Charlie and Tony, who both kept their own gardens.
Exploring the Wonder of David Wiesner
I have been teaching for two-thirds of my life, and I am now looking back over those years and thinking about how we learn and what makes some of us life-long learners. I am especially interested in how some people love to read and some do not. I can’t imagine my life without stories. Since … Continue reading Exploring the Wonder of David Wiesner
Small Wonders
I am constantly attuned to the little things stirring: the beetle, the butterfly, the inch worm, and the ladybug. I sit and watch them, meditating, slowing my breath, taking in all they have to teach me. I want to learn their ways. I want to be completely in their world even for a moment. When I become them, I become more myself.
The Incredible Events in the Life of a Teacher
Being open to possibility is the key to life-long learning, and life-long learning, I believe, is the key to happiness. It gives one purpose, and a sense of purpose is what keeps us humans strong and resilient.
Mentoring Gifted Readers
As Parker Palmer says, “Teaching is a daily exercise in vulnerability.” Sharing my struggles and successes with students help them to take a risk and share what is easy and difficult for them. Then, together we plan next steps to reach our goals.
Word Dancer: Literature, the Arts, & Education 