There is no doubt that I am a life long learner! In the midst of obtaining a second master’s degree, twenty-five years after my first in an arguably different discipline, very few could accuse me of not being committed to learning and growing through my life thus far. Taking graduate courses during the school year,…
Right now, I find myself in a place where I have to stop trying to make a difference. I have realized that I cannot win this game. This year I spoke out about some teaching practices and administrative decisions that I disagreed with from my perspective as a parent and student advocate. I spoke out,…
It’s official! I have a high school senior once again! With my oldest graduating from college this year, I find myself headed into the busy time of preparing for college applications with my next oldest! Today, as I write, he is taking the SAT or Scholastic Aptitude Test or more recently known as the Scholastic…
Creativity feeds the soul! I am not sure where this phrase or expression came from but I absolutely believe in it. Last weekend, I spent Saturday at an art gallery in Northeast Iowa that carries my handcrafted jewelry for the tourist season. There, I showed children how to make beaded bookmarks, key rings, and bracelets….
Service Learning, A.K.A volunteerism, has recently been an important part of preparing high school students, and even those younger, to be an active engaged citizen. There is no doubt that when you serve others, you receive a sense of community, empathy, and responsibility to society. I did not set out to be a role model…
I always wait with the students as parents arrive to pick them up from our garden club meetings. Invariably, there is a student, usually one of the younger ones, who becomes nervous that their adult will not arrive to take them home. Pick up was from outside the school this week, as we planted the…
via Daily Prompt: Survive Evergreen Garden Club. Founded September 2004 – Concluded May 2017. The Life of a Garden Club that is Evergreen, Twelve is the times the Butterfly Garden has been planted by students unseen The Monarch Way Station Sign is seen but not read, signaling a special precaution to those who truly care:…
Today, I discovered something about myself. I have a very difficult time calling myself a teacher! While at the local copy store this morning, getting my third grade writer’s circle student newspapers made from the mock-up, the clerk said, “You must be a teacher.” She was looking at the student work on the 11 x…
via Daily Prompt: Adrift I assume at some point soon, I will be adrift. A club I founded and led for the last twelve years is ending. I am electing to end it, even though it is still very popular with the students. The club, an elementary garden club, is for any student in grades…
Recently, my social media feed offered a repost of an edutopia blog article I had read last year. It is one of those articles worthy of re-reading, re-posting, and re-sharing. Previously, I had shared the article with an administrator in our school district. The reason being is that we experienced some long-lasting effects of student…