I have always thought judging Pre-K and K students only on their ability (or inability) to read letters and words was short-sighted. I remember the 2nd grade student who told me: Miss Ra-ra I can't read. (Yes, Miss Ra-ra because Ferrara was a mouthful for some students.) I showed him a picture of a cereal … Continue reading What Do We Read Beyond Words?
Category: Uncategorized
What Do Standardized Tests Really Measure?
Some book characters stick with a person for years. I wish I could tell you mine was a lofty, well-known Emma, Jane, or Beth and Amy Jo, or even Dorothy. No. The character who has haunted me since my days of student teaching, who still torments me, is Flossie the Flamingo. Flossie was a character … Continue reading What Do Standardized Tests Really Measure?
Why Do I Have a Ph.D.?
Dear Joseph Epstein, Your Wall Street Journal op-ed has been sent to me many times since being published. You think there are too many of us running around with doctoral degrees we don't deserve because we can't read Greek or Latin. The only true doctors in the world have M.D. after their names and can … Continue reading Why Do I Have a Ph.D.?
What Does it Mean to Lead with Kindness?
Editor's note: Today I turn my blog over to someone who, despite the pandemic, has been a frontline retail worker. I’m sure everyone has heard of the Golden Rule at some point in their lives: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Variations include “treat others the way you wish to … Continue reading What Does it Mean to Lead with Kindness?
Can A Saw Whet Owl Shine Light?
To know me is to know I love birds. They fascinate me on many levels. I live with three parrots. My bird adoration stems from eight years of homeschooling my youngest daughter. Her passion for all things avian took us on many adventures. She even piloted the Trainer-For-A-Day program for the National Aviary. Here she … Continue reading Can A Saw Whet Owl Shine Light?
How are Lessons and Learning Evolving?
My 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training course requires a community service project. In pre-pandemic times, this would have been an easy task for me. I love designing lessons. I love teaching. I love the organic nature of learning through exploration and doing. But social distancing and safety now require teaching in a virtual universe. I should … Continue reading How are Lessons and Learning Evolving?
How Can Students Contact Authors?
Blogger Principal Rich Czyz does it again! Here's another day when he sets my writing agenda. Except, I am not going to be writing the entirety of this blog. I am going to hand it off to a guest blogger. But just to set this up, Rich wrote today about making learning authentic for students. … Continue reading How Can Students Contact Authors?
What if?
Rich Czyz must rise very early each morning to work on his blog, 4 O'Clock Faculty. I guess this because by the time I am up and ready to write, he has already posted some pithy observation for me to read. And this morning was another one of those days. Calling his post: What If … Continue reading What if?
What a Hurricane Taught Me about Listening and Leadership
Thirty-five years ago, the news director at WJLA-TV in Washington, DC told me I was headed to Virginia with one of our most-seasoned reporters, Jim Clarke, to cover Hurricane Gloria. He was an amazing reporter and a great teacher. He died in 2009. Here's a brief blurb from the Washington Post. Jim Clarke, an Emmy … Continue reading What a Hurricane Taught Me about Listening and Leadership
What’s Up With My House?
My daughter and I had just started preparing the ingredients for pork fried rice. A dear friend had brought us lunch the day before; there was plenty of pork left for a second meal. We pulled out the eggs, the sesame oil, the soy sauce. I cut the bok choy, carrots and broccoli. We were … Continue reading What’s Up With My House?
