This is my last deliberation on the New Year. Then I'll move on. I think I speak for the collective when I say that we ready to put 2020 behind us! I posted a wrap-up video on my social media, just before the 31st of December. Sadly the video felt more like a trailer for... Continue Reading →
Resolutions, Intentions & Words
Resolutions The intention behind a resolution is to change something and mostly I think people want to change for the better. The New Year is a collective opportunity for making some kind of change. I think it's cool. Change is inevitable. The only real constant in the universe is change according to our ancient friend... Continue Reading →
Books I Loved in 2020
The Book Fairies is an organization started by Hollywood actress Emma Watson. A few years ago she launched an international project that would see more than 1000 books left in public spaces for people to enjoy. The Book Fairies started in London, England with the Books on the Underground project but has now spread around... Continue Reading →
New Years Eve Traditions
We are welcoming another year with intention---whether we know it or not. Are we hopeful? Are we resigning? Are we happy? What are we carrying with us and what are we dropping from our heavy or light loads of this past weird year? The simple shift from one day to the next on this fresh... Continue Reading →
Emma’s Dilemma or Making Art For Others
Art is never finished, only abandoned.Leonardo Da Vinci My friend Emma (yeah, I named you) reached out to tell me that she was completely stressed out. Her stress maxed because she was making art for someone. For those of you who do not create things regularly making something to give as a gift is hard... Continue Reading →
It’s Christmas Time
I remember so vividly, at my first teaching job I had befriended an educational assistant. That was about 24 years ago and I couldn't even tell you her name, what she looked like or what classroom she worked in with me. I can, however, tell you that she wrote one of those Christmas letters about... Continue Reading →
Long nights
Winter solstice 2020 in Northern Hemisphere was at 7:30 a.m. on Monday, December 21---today. The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, it occurs when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. I just got all science-y. It's a special day. From this day forward until June... Continue Reading →
Gratitude is a Two Way Street
I am officially on Christmas holidays. I just finished up the second quint of this school year. For those of you who don't know, a quint is a mini semester, created to help teachers reduce daily contact with students. It went smashingly well. Here's why: I had an incredible intern who did her practice teaching... Continue Reading →
Daily Commutes
I've fallen in love with my commute. I walk. It's just under two kilometers. It's through a park and over a bridge. It's beautiful. Walking to work doesn't happen much anymore. We drive---mostly. Even walking to school is something that doesn't happen for the children like it did when we were young. We've created a... Continue Reading →
The Student Becomes the Teacher
A boy named Alex This is the story about a boy I taught just a couple of years ago. Let's call him Alex. Let me give you some background. This kid was quiet and quirky in grade 9. He was quite talented but he was like a disco ball—His light flashing everywhere. I couldn’t seem... Continue Reading →