Tag: creativity

Lessons from Lunch: Connecting with Students

~ wordancerblog ~ 9 Comments

In my long teaching career, I knew that lifting kids up with kind words and a patient ear, was so very important. It made the difference between success and failure. I know that teachers have such an important impact on their students and that if we take time, see their strengths, and let them know we believe in them,

Cooking Inspiration from The Pasta Queen: Poetry and Passion

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I have been binge watching Nadia Caterina Munno, the Pasta Queen. She is incredibly passionate about Italian food. Her show is a treat alternating from places in Italy to her kitchen in Florida. She is smart, funny, and spicy. What a personality! I love watching and listening to her.

Spring Break Artifacts

~ wordancerblog ~ 7 Comments

It is my last couple of days on spring break.  I’ve slept late, ate good food, written poems about food, and took long walks capturing the beauty I saw with my camera.  I am trying to do things that nourish me, that uplift me, that help to better understand my purpose. The sunshine and warm weather has definitely lifted my spirits, and I hope I have absorbed enough of its healing energy to bring back north to our muddy March season.

Mindfulness in Teaching: Be Where Your Feet Are

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The author, Suzanne Dailey, noted that she and her girlfriends play a game called “Where are your fee?” in which they send each other photos of their feet to check in with each other about what they are doing and how they are feeling. This game helps each person consider where they are in the present moment.  It helps them reflect and shift their attention. It’s a gentle reminder to “Be where your feet are.”

Sew Easy: A Heartfelt Journey

~ wordancerblog ~ 2 Comments

Many things that my mother loved, I love - teaching, making art, reading, eating cheese and crackers, putting on bright lipstick, and sewing.  My mother was an amazing seamstress and dress designer well before she had kids and became a teacher.  She would hold a piece of fabric in her hand, fold it, cut it without a pattern, and make something wonderful to wear.  She had a gift, and it was magical.

February Snow

~ wordancerblog ~ 3 Comments

On a recent trek to the park, I watched families sled down a small but slick slope.  It was fun to see parents cheering on their children.  One little girl with bright pink cheeks had a death grip on the edges of her snow disc as she screamed all the way down the hill.  She ran back up shouting, “That was TERRIFYING!  Let’s do it again!” 

One Little Word – Zest, 2025

~ wordancerblog ~ 5 Comments

I keep thinking about the perfect word as my touchstone for 2025.  In the past, I’ve chosen: remember, purpose, and settle.  Those are important words and they kept me set on a definite path the last three years.  This year, I searched for a word that would reflect who I am now at the beginning of 2025, at the precipice of my 69th year.