Stuck, scared, and stressed, I could barely write when the quarantine began here in Miami, Florida. Between cooking all the time and being ordered around like everyone's personal servant, I found my mind full of chaotic thoughts and unable to focus on anything that mattered to me. That all changed when the Discover Prompts startedContinue reading "Grateful for Discover Writing Prompts"
Brushing Bailey’s Teeth!
You want slow? The fastest, most exciting event today was... https://www.instagram.com/p/B_I1t4RDwT6/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
Educators and Parents Need to Read This
Taking a break from teaching has given me time to explore the world of education through the Internet. I’ve found some sites that feel like an endless trail of links to worksheets that are essentially irrelevant to students of the 2020 realm. But, I’ve also found websites that are not only 2020 perfect, but 2020Continue reading "Educators and Parents Need to Read This"
Good? Tell JetBlue.
If there's ever a time of year when people find themselves crazed, eyes swirling with gifts, determined to find the best sale or the latest gadget, it's now.Our beloved holiday season is upon us. And, Black Friday is quickly approaching.But, what really matters, the whole purpose of the winter holiday season, often goes overlooked andContinue reading "Good? Tell JetBlue."
Find the best authors at THE MIAMI BOOK FAIR
Crowds. Noise. Everything that many book lovers usually run from will be swirling around and crackling through the air at the Miami Book Fair in the coming weeks. The first time I took my kids there, I was slapped with screeching children, tents with more screeching children, loud music, and sometimes happy, mostly angry parents.Continue reading "Find the best authors at THE MIAMI BOOK FAIR"
5 Best Ways to Help Teens Survive School Anxiety
Between getting up before the sun even rises and just thinking about homework, all teenagers feel at least a tinge of anxiety when the school year begins. Overachievers might find themselves biting their cuticles. Underachievers might dread the teachers who will ridicule them for not trying. Social butterflies might obsess over a pimple, their hair,Continue reading "5 Best Ways to Help Teens Survive School Anxiety"
Born to Laugh
Sometimes, my sister Jill Michele Melean would give my dolls Ziggy Stardust haircuts just to change what was happening in the room, especially if it was unpleasant.
Threading Happiness
A businessman who bought up a town near Chicago, Illinois, Robert Stanford built a fortune for himself and some would say it all started with a small bakery. But, if you knew him, you also knew that it really started with his mind; the way he looked at life. The Harvard Business Review recently publishedContinue reading "Threading Happiness"
To My WordPress Family, Laugh It Up
We all have felt the demise of happiness more than a few times during quarantine. It's been rough trying to stay happy right now. I get a blow to the gut at least once a day from some sort of disappointment--most of the time it happens when I read or listen to the news. So,Continue reading "To My WordPress Family, Laugh It Up"
Speak Up Saturdays
The sound of a teenager's voice can send a parent or teacher into the realm of insanity or lift someone out of the depths of despair. Showing teenagers the power of their voice helps them understand what to do with the words that buzz in their brains. Our teenagers need to stay connected in creativeContinue reading "Speak Up Saturdays"
There’s An Artist Hiding Inside Your Child’s Mind
When my son was six, he wouldn't use descriptive language like my daughter who devoured books and words faster than most children. My son liked to describe everything with a zip or a zoom. He'd riddle his sentences with a series of sounds that could sometimes be mistaken for heavy fire in a battle orContinue reading "There’s An Artist Hiding Inside Your Child’s Mind"
Heroes Hide Here
Words swarmed over each other and buzzed with a hovering that left thoughts moving back and forth, up and down. It became clear that education's best moments were happening right now, amid tragedy and change.
Applause Applause, Give the Teachers a Hand
I slapped my legs and snorted this morning while putting my groceries away. Who knew that listening to my kids’ English teacher talk about the schedule for the week would be so entertaining? I mean, yes, I also teach English and have been told on more than one occasion that my backup plan should beContinue reading "Applause Applause, Give the Teachers a Hand"
Non-fiction Saturdays
When I found this beautiful website, I thought of a home for my daughter. As I continued to read, I found a home for myself. You're missing out if you don't have this home.
Miami Sounds
Boom boom boom. More like a pump than a pound. Boom boom boom. I sat outside and heard the sound. Boom boom boom. That's Miami music looping around. Boom boom boom. Three weeks play daily party sounds. Boom boom boom. Another pandemic party shakes the ground.
Escape
Bursting out of the house in an effort to escape the extreme claustrophobia that was choking me to death, I ran down the dark street to the park that was covered in yellow tape. I ran around it watching a man in a mask walk his dog. There were only a few of us whoContinue reading "Escape"
BraveSmartBold 