Author Archives: Lainie Levin

Okay, so usually? Each August? When you ask me about the start of school? I start getting goosebumps. Literally. Just get me started talking about new school supplies, about seeing happy faces that first day of school, of going back to that wonderful structure of learning rules and routines, of thinking about the incredible senseContinue reading “On Returning to my Classroom”

So THIS would be why I didn’t have kids come down to my room today: Even though the water itself was gone within a couple of hours, I was not sure whether or not I would make it back into my classroom to TEACH. I’m still not sure. So, I tried to grab whatever IContinue reading “A Long, Long, Day”

Actually, if you had asked me at about 7:30 this morning, I couldn’t have told you. I was tired. Crabby. Feeling overworked, overweight, over-scheduled, and under-appreciated. In need of that last hug from my boys, hoping that extra squeeze could set me on the right path for the day. Close, but not quite. On toContinue reading “Why I Got Up Today”

So…how do I exactly know that I’m working with gifted kids? Well, let’s start with the kindergarten and first-grade students I’m working with, shall we? (For the uninitiated, that puts them at ages 6 and 7.) I gave them the following premise: “If you could spend all day studying about anything you wanted, what wouldContinue reading “Exhibit A”

Here I am, grading the latest round of tests. This time, it’s geometry. Last time, it was decimal multiplication and division, and I don’t know who wanted to cry more – the kids or me. Those of you who read of my dream know I told myself that I’d put together a checklist (buzz-speakophiles willContinue reading “New Way of Business, Part 2”

Maybe it was the barbecue talking. Maybe I just had a lot on my brain. But I woke up last night at 12:30 after the most puzzling nightmare. It was at school. There I was, in the teachers’ lounge, and there were a couple of moms sitting down at the table. Of course I knewContinue reading “A New Way of Doing Business?”

…so get this. There was a story on the news today about a Florida school where kids run the place. No teachers, no curriculum – just a center of discovery. But that’s not the point here.   The point is that they asked Meline Kevorkian, who’s written several books about education, for a quote aboutContinue reading “Why I Seldom Watch the News”

…is also the one that I never got asked before I had kids. For that matter, I never got it before my kids started school. But here goes: “You’re a parent. What would you do if you were me?” Granted, I’ve been able to call on being a parent in so many ways as aContinue reading “The Question I Just Can’t Answer…”

Ok, people. I confess! I confess! I am the one who went on the morning announcements this month – twice! – to encourage children to write a poem a day for National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo, not to be confused with November’s NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month). And I think I’ve started something good!Continue reading “Putting My Money where my Mouth Is”

“I’m a terrible reader. I mean horrible. Really, I’m glad my kids can read and they don’t need my help on homework because I can’t read for the life of me. And it’s a good thing that I don’t need to do it really well, because I’d be totally stuck. I don’t know what itContinue reading “Freely Admitting It”