Heavy into summer, kids do not want to hear the word “school” let alone the word “read” and do NOT utter the name we do not speak of “HOMEWORK.” So if you’re a parent like me and you’ve begun noticing that there’s no intellectual stimulation other than YouTube and gaming with an occasional excursion toContinue reading Stimulating the Summer Brain: For parents who are watching their children drool over their devices.
Some may say that I’m morbid, even disrespectful. I say, it’s a matter of perspective, and love, a lot of love. Today, my love died. Today, her eyes washed to oceans of blue and glimmers of white. Today, she surrounded me. Today, she showed me life floats on. And, today, I started watching the secondContinue reading Happy Days Live On
Those white shoes, cushioned platforms of sorts, left our house sometimes for 24 hours. When she returned, she slept. Twelve hours sometimes then worked for 24 more. My mother worked hard and smart. I missed her all the same. The 24-hour shifts paid more but meant that we’d see her less. She made upContinue reading Working Smart?
Preparing for the start of the school year seems even more somber this year than others. Back to school mayhem has begun in some parts of the country. Florida just had its tax-free weekend and parents were no less aggressive about stocking up on supplies. But, all of us, at some point, looked at aContinue reading Back to School: Conversations with Kids about Safety and Speaking Up
I watch in awe of their resolve, saddened by their wounds, hoping for their healing, and waiting for the next burst of magic, bound to love them through it all.
Continue reading The Art of Living with Artists
Oftentimes when reading To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee in the classroom, students giggle when stumbling upon the first “inappropriate” word. By ages 10 and 11 nowadays, students have heard and said all of those words at some point. In fact, a lot of those kids have heard their parents shouting those words whileContinue reading Censoring Enlightenment
Any teacher worth their salt will tell you straight up that she’s learned as much from her students as they have from her. But, every teacher will concede that learning has become more than just a challenge. I have two children and I’ve taught thousands. So, when I began teaching, I wanted to be theContinue reading Who educates whom?
Changing the way your child thinks about school is already a daunting task, so don’t expect miracles or overnight success. It is school after all. This isn’t a checklist or advice that works on cue. These are segments of living that should be worked into conversations and issues and built upon as you move throughoutContinue reading How to change the way your child thinks about school.
Caper Please stop making faces! Beautiful hair, shiny, long, short, doesn’t matter–I mean the kind of hair that girls envy and say so out loud, right to his face. But, I’ll be damned if he gives me one good smile for a picture. There’s always a face, a different one for each shot. The creepyContinue reading Go ahead, pick the dragon’s nose kid.
