Category: Writing

Cultivating a “Make Lemonade” Mindset

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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

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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

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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. 

Exploring the Wonder of David Wiesner

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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

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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.

Working in the Wonder Studio: Sewing up Some New Friends

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The girls learn about sewing, making mistakes, and perseverance.  I learn about how these students approach a task:  how they plan, how they organize, and how they problem  solve. I also learn how to help them when they are stuck and what motivates them.  I have come to understand how important this half-hour is for them as students and for me as a teacher.