On my summers off from school I find myself in different relaxing places…the beach, or hiking through some forest, or visiting family. In the midst of my “downtime” I am struck with how exhausted I truly am from the previous school year. The rejuvenation is much needed, in fact, usually it takes a couple of … Continue reading Lifelong Learners
Education
A Shot in the Arm
Moving a classroom is a lot like moving a house. There are boxes and boxes of stuff and you always wonder where it all came from. I cringe at the amount of money I have spent on teaching supplies. How did I get so much? I regularly purge and I still have half a garage … Continue reading A Shot in the Arm
A Good Point
As a writer, I love to connect with my readers. I love to hear your thoughts and have conversations about how my words impact you. I like it when you share these things with me, and give me additional ideas to ponder. My latest series on education, and my resignation from it, has sparked quite … Continue reading A Good Point
The Divorce is Final
Careers are like marriages, and after 20 years of pouring my heart and soul into this relationship, it is over. Just like that. Education has abandoned me, and my love has grown cold. I have to admit I saw it coming. I wanted to ignore all the signs, but trouble has been brewing for a … Continue reading The Divorce is Final
Grassroots
I think teachers are so bogged down in the day to day responsibilities of educating our children that we have missed an important point. A vital reality. Maybe it is the sheer number of tasks on our plate which seem to be ever increasing, or maybe we are just unaware…either way the truth is that … Continue reading Grassroots
My Last “Last Day”
The last day of school is always a mix of emotions for me. Mainly I feel relief that I survived another year, as well as a sense of mission accomplished. But as those buses pull out each year, and I am standing at the edge of the bus circle waving with my colleagues, there are … Continue reading My Last “Last Day”
The Tipping Point
I have always been inspired by kids. From the time I was 16 and working at Kindercare, I have loved young children. They see things with innocent eyes, and that is refreshing to me. Their perspectives, their enthusiasm, their curiosity…all of it, just makes it a pleasure to be with them. I went from a … Continue reading The Tipping Point
Why?
I have been stopped around town the past week or so by numerous people who have asked me why I resigned my job. What I felt was a pretty simple answer is actually more complicated to explain than I originally thought. The best way for me to describe it is to use a model most … Continue reading Why?
The Ripple Effect
I love to skip rocks. There is something about it that mesmerizes me and keeps me trying to get the perfect spin over and over again. The best water to skip rocks on is a smooth pond or lake, or a wide slow moving river. The perfect rock is smooth, about palm-sized, and oval shaped. … Continue reading The Ripple Effect
Michelle's Mosaic 