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This month I am making small, medium and big shifts. Shifting my tone of voice. Speaking softly even when I’m about to lose it. Shifting how I speak. Slowing down my speech so that it fills me with deep breaths and not angry talk. Shifting from assuming to listening. Ask ingquestions instead of making statements,… Read more

Every year, in January, I struggle to find the word that will guide me through the New Year. Most of the time, before February rolls around, I either forget what word I chose or the word I picked just doesn’t resonate with me anymore. This year is no different. I started with CREATE. Who can… Read more

I subscribe to Poetry Minute, a website curated by former Poet Laureate Ken Nesbitt. A recent post featured Kalli Dakos’ poem, There’s a New Me This Year, which inspired me to reflect on all of the ways I try to reinvent myself. I wrote the call and response piece below in an attempt to sort… Read more

If you are not familiar with Austin Kleon, including his books and regular email posts, then you need to stop what you’re doing and get cozy with one of the best creator minds out there. What I love about Austin Kleon’s work is that it can apply to anyone in any field who is doing… Read more

Dear me, This is a tough year. You feel like a brand new teacher. You are learning new technologies and new ways of teaching in an online environment. You are creating a community in a virtual space. You are doing what you thought you’d never do. And, you are loving the time spent with students.… Read more

We recently adopted a puppy. She is about a year old and is a German Shepherd mix. I knew she was for us the first time we met her. I love dogs and I don’t like cats. (I just had to say that.) All of the dogs we’ve owned have been outdoor dogs. That was… Read more

Who would have thought that after 35 years in education I would be teaching online? How can I manage all of the moving parts, including the squares on the screen as children move in and out of the Google Meet? How can I get to know the student who hides behind his camera and never… Read more

Earlier this month, I co-led a Conversation to Build Capacity, titled: Building Community in Digital Spaces with Garry Smolyansky, @gar_small, for @TheMentoree. There were seven of us in the conversation and during the one hour session we started to build a community of adult learners on Zoom. How did that happen, you ask? I think… Read more

I used to think that online school was a terrible idea. Now I know that the right combination of patience and the ability to be flexible in the moment can make it work for the teacher and students. But you know what? Being patient and flexible with situations gone amok is not any different from… Read more

This is the year that I will practice patience. First of all, and for the record, I am not a patient person. Although I don’t mind waiting in lines or for a table at a restaurant, I do hate having to wait for my doctor to call with test results. I’m not a patient person.… Read more