Author Archives: Lainie Levin

Slice of Life Tuesday: Another Little Word

When writing my “One Little Word” post for the new year, I knew the word I chose, gather, would not last me through the year. In fact, it was my hope that this one little word would soon slough its skin to reveal the word underneath. The other day, I was at school. It wasContinue reading “Slice of Life Tuesday: Another Little Word”

Sunday Sit-Down #6: Duped

Each Sunday, I’m working my way through my experiences with race. I’ll share stories and memories from throughout my life. I know I’ll encounter moments of growth that I wish I could relive. I’ll also have to think back on choices that I wish I could remake. Come join me each week. I’ve been thinkingContinue reading “Sunday Sit-Down #6: Duped”

Sunday Sitdown #5: First Lesson

Mrs. Williams was a great first-grade teacher. She was kind, cheerful and honest.She always encouraged us with phrases like, “You’re cookin’ with gas!”She regaled us with stories of her little girl.She used Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies as prizes when she REALLY wanted to motivate us.Heck, she put up with ME as a first grader.Continue reading “Sunday Sitdown #5: First Lesson”

Swinging For The Fences

I’m not going to lie. This year, I have had some SPECTACULAR fails in the classroom. And I mean, not just the oh-man-this-is-tricky-how-am-I-going-to-figure-a-different-way-of-teaching-this-to-the-kids fail. That’s just an ordinary, run-of-the-mill, cost-of-doing-business, everyday type of fail. No. I’m talking about the holy-cow-this-lesson-is-crashing-and-burning-and-I-have-absolutely-no-way-of-backing-out-of-this-and-no-way-to-figure-out-in-the-moment-how-to-make-it-better-and-why-did-I-even-bother-getting-out-of-bed-today fail. I’ve thought a lot about these fails. They haunt me. In the moment, failuresContinue reading “Swinging For The Fences”

Sunday Sit-Down #4: On the Bus

At Old Bonhomme School there was always a range of faces different from mine. I took for granted the mix of kids in my classes. As far as I knew, I went to a neighborhood school with neighborhood kids, and we all learned and played and together as one community. What I didn’t know, andContinue reading “Sunday Sit-Down #4: On the Bus”

Slice of Life Tuesday: Lessons from the Chocolate Stash

Upstairs, at one of my two schools, in the copy room, there sits a green plastic basket under a sticker on the wall that reads, “Chocolate doesn’t ask silly questions. Chocolate UNDERSTANDS.” There are a few of us who tend to be the chocolate fairies of this particular basket. For my part, I like toContinue reading “Slice of Life Tuesday: Lessons from the Chocolate Stash”

Sunday Sit-down #3: The Neighborhood

Olivette was good to me growing up. So was Stoneyside Lane. I knew that I could always go wandering around, exploring my neighborhood or the streets around me. I knew how much fun it was to walk into town and visit the stores up there. I knew that there was always a mix of blackContinue reading “Sunday Sit-down #3: The Neighborhood”

Slice of Life: Pre-Emptive Gratitude

We don’t have a snow day today, and I’m about as happy as a wet cat. Something deep within me ached for a day back at home, even if it still involved a full day of classes and meetings. The thought of getting up early, bundling up, clearing off the car, of navigating barely passableContinue reading “Slice of Life: Pre-Emptive Gratitude”

Sunday Sitdown #2: And So It Begins

Where does my racial story begin? At my own birth?At the first moments I can remember?The very first time I noticed people were different? Or with Parents andGrandparents,With the many ways they interacted withWithoutAboveOthers who were different?(All while they tried hardSo very hardTo become the not-different themselves) How can I evenStartTo explain my own upbringingContinue reading “Sunday Sitdown #2: And So It Begins”