Well, our hotel is a happening place. When we arrived, a dance competition was just finishing up, and now we have the band Kiss in concert across the street at the arena (I wanna rock and roll all nite). I seriously feel in need of a jumpsuit. It seems like at least the road crew…
Category: Refelections
Thoughts about teaching
Looking for the Colonel
Today I went in search of the Colonel. Francis Wayland Parker was a New Hampshire boy, and he was also the founder of the school where I teach. I found out after I had been at CMK last year that he was buried here in Manchester. I actually think that his cremains are interred here…
Best Advice of the Day
From Derrick H. Pitts, Ph.D., Chief Astronomer and Planetarium Director for the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. “Look up.” And I think he meant not just at the sky but up from your book, your screen, your mirror. Photo from the Lunar and Planetary Institute
Day One: Constructing Modern Knowldege 2011
I’m in NH at a conference that I had the pleasure of attending last year. Constructing Modern Knowledge is a “minds on” conference where we are encouraged to put on our learner hat and take off our teacher hat. I have two paths that I want to follow over these four days; I want to…
We’ve Got to Get Ourselves Back to the Garden…
So, all the sewing had its opportunity cost (not in a bad way – that’s just the way of it); that, and the rains and cold weather of May made it impossible to either mow the lawn or get out and plant. I did have a tiny window and put in mesclun and Hannah ad…
Seder Light
Last night we had Passover seder. Although I was raised a Catholic, my husband is an Ashkenazi Jew, and we have made a seder every year that we have been together. Last night we sat 16 at the table. It was cozy, without a doubt, but festive. Three times last night tears came to me,…
Another Travel Anxiety
It’s not enough that my travel anxieties include which train, what car on the train, what bus, what money, keys, passport, food, and yeah…. I have laundry anxiety. What is the laundry line etiquette? What if I drop something (we are on the 5th floor)? Do I use all the lines? Can I leave it…
How Small is the World?
Pretty darn small. Let’s just acknowledge that the earth is a tiny planet full of organisms that we recognize or we do not. And when I recognize a plant or a bug in my garden, that is one thing. All those faces in the world: those that I do not know and the ones that…
Make Peace With Imperfection
MAKE PEACE WITH IMPERFECTION This is something that I write on the board in my classroom when we are working on new forms of writing – like the analytic essay. I think that I will enshrine it permanently with my one classroom rule: Don’t be a jerk.** Last week a dear friend asked me what…
Almost March
It snows every day still. A little bit every night. I worry that I won’t be able to uncover enough dirt to plant peas on St. Patrick’s Day. I hope that the spinach and arugula overwintered; I think chances are good because we mulched with all the leaves from the maple tree and we’ve had…
Sparta and the Quik Trip
I am home earlier than intended. A blizzard was predicted (and it appeared, right on schedule) for parts of eastern SD and all across southern Minnesota for today, the main travel day for most of us. Reliable weather watchers recommended an early departure, so I changed my ticket to an early flight yesterday, and my…
Living on the Lip of Insanity 