Exercising my civic duty is not as exciting as I thought it would be. Mostly, it is waiting and trying to keep myself entertained. I purposefully did not bring my laptop, and I’m trying not to engage my phone. I want this day to be more reflective and in the moment. I spend too many days rushing around from one task to the next. Today, I have an opportunity to stop and reflect.
Category: teaching
Exercising my civic duty is not as exciting as I thought it would be. Mostly, it is waiting and trying to keep myself entertained. I purposefully did not bring my laptop, and I’m trying not to engage my phone. I want this day to be more reflective and in the moment.
A Jury of Our Peers: Exercising Civic Duty
I’m being called to potentially sit on a jury. I’m not quite sure what it all will entail or how many days I will be out of work, sitting as a juror. I hope to learn about the court system, which I will take back to my students.
A Lark and a Prayer: Music in the Classroom
Last week, I was reminded of the importance of music. This reminder came in the form of a six-year-old girl named Lark.
Grateful Harvest: Baking in Kindergarten
This week, I had the treat of baking with kindergarteners. We transformed their four small Halloween pumpkins into a sumptuous dessert: Bread Pudding in a Pumpkin Shell! To my surprise, there were requests for seconds, thirds, and even fourths!
Finding Tranquility in a Cup of Tea
When life gets more hectic than I wish, I turn for moments of solace. Those moments often include a steaming cup of tea. As soon as I put the kettle on, I start to relax.
The Poetry of Politics: Writing About Presidential Elections
To gain a better perspective of political history, I thought I’d write a poem about the election of 1922, the year my dear mother was born. I did some research on President Harding and his administration. It was quite an interesting time, having some parallels to our present situation.
That’s Silly! Learning and Laughing
Last spring, I submitted a poem for possible publication in Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong’s new anthology, Clara’s Kooky Compendium of Thimble Thoughts and Wonder Fuzz. Janet and Sylvia have been wonderful supportive of my poetry and my creative process. I can’t thank them enough for encouraging me to get silly again.
Autumn Revelry: A Journey of Relaxation & Reflection
In October, I’m a charged particle frantically going in one direction hoping not to overload my circuits and short out or go up in flames. So, I know I must take out a little time for myself to hideaway and enjoy autumn’s splendor.
Putting in Pencil Miles
I know to get good at anything, you must put time into it. “Practice makes permanent,” as the saying goes. Recently, I read David Sibley refer to his development in drawings birds as "putting in pencil miles.,” which is a term used by nature journalist to describe the practice that goes into honing their craft.
Word Dancer: Literature, the Arts, & Education 