Ruth Ayres recently encouraged me to think about what it means to live with arms wide open. Even though I’m an introvert at heart, I love to take quiet risks. I was born curious and that curiosity hasn’t subsided in my sixth decade of living. I guess that’s why I also love teaching. I … Continue reading Wings Wide Open
Category: Uncategorized
Anger
How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it. - Marcus Aurelius Anger is hard for me to write about. It is probably hard for most people to write or talk about. I most certainly would rather write about children, art, or cupcakes. However, the whole point of beginning again … Continue reading Anger
To begin again…
Sometimes, to begin again feels like a long hike in the summer sun up a steep slope. Sometimes, to begin again is like swimming in honey. Today, I received an invitation from Ruth Ayres to begin again, and I accept it as a gift. Now, I don't know Ruth personally, but I subscribe to … Continue reading To begin again…
The Art of Cookies
For our 30th anniversary five years ago, my husband and I returned to our honeymoon site - Montreal. Since that time, we make sure we return to Montreal every summer, sometimes twice a summer. My husband found a wonderful boutique hotel in Old Montreal - Georges Marciano's L'Hotel. Marciano, the founder and designer of Guess? … Continue reading The Art of Cookies
Ming Tao Xuan or How to Relax in Old Montreal
My travels in Old Montreal, finding peace and mindfulness
Write the Poem
I used to take long walks in the woods and a poem would pop into my head effortlessly. The flow of my steps would jog something in my brain and images and ideas would come to me almost like magic. Lately, my life has been filled up with mundane things: weddings, newborn babies, elderly relatives … Continue reading Write the Poem
Write What You Notice
I recently attended a teacher's workshop presented by Penny Kittle at Rutgers University sponsored by Rutgers Center for Literacy Development. I've seen Penny many times. Usually, she talks to teachers about creating reading and writing workshop spaces in high school classes. Penny was a high school English teacher in New Hampshire and her mentor was … Continue reading Write What You Notice
A Time for Apples
I don't know whether it's because my mom was a teacher or because I became a teacher and have been doing this for the last forty years... but I LOVE apples. I keep an apple collection: marble, ceramic, crystal, brass - all kinds of apples to remind me that school has just started and like … Continue reading A Time for Apples
A Great Way to Start the Day
For the first couple of weeks of school this year, I stared my work day in the Junior Pre-K with a vivacious group of three-year-olds. Those morning were filled with joy. This is my 40th year of teaching. My first six years in this profession was happily spent in a cooperative nursery school whose mission … Continue reading A Great Way to Start the Day
Mindful Assessment: Breathe, Lean in, & Listen
Fall is here, and for me September and October mean it’s time for ELA assessments. The teachers, specialists, and I gear up to assess the reading, phonics, spelling, and writing skills of students to help support their learning throughout the year. It is an intensive rush to provide the best instruction possible. This year, as … Continue reading Mindful Assessment: Breathe, Lean in, & Listen
Word Dancer: Literature, the Arts, & Education 