A student wrote an email that broke my heart, just a little. I found them in the hallway yesterday and told them I need time to think about all the beautiful and thoughtful questions they asked before responding back.
But I still feel the need to acknowledge their words. I’m carrying this kid with me. Perhaps you recognize either yourself or another kid here. My hope is, next week, I’ll have a poem to offer in response.
Last year was a turning point for me. As a teacher, I decided to give up much of my work outside of school in exchange for a deeper, fuller presence with my students. I pledged to bring less of my job home with me so that I could apply more of myself during the day.Continue reading “Slice of Life Tuesday: It’s Not Terrible”
Today’s poem is about winter, but it’s really for all of us feeling overwhelmed, hopeless, or alone.
So. Last night. I’m on my way to book club, walking the quarter mile from my house to a local restaurant. It’s almost seven, right when we’re supposed to start, and I’m trying to get there by the skin of my teeth. Come to think of it, I’m trying to do everything by the skinContinue reading “Slice of Life Tuesday: Remember”
It’s the first Slice of Life Tuesday for the year, and that means it’s time to think about my One Little Word for 2026. I’ll come right out and say it: this year’s word is REMEMBER. Okay, so I’m being a little tongue-in-cheek because I invariably forget about my word by the time February rollsContinue reading “Slice of Life Tuesday: OLW 2026”
Last Thursday, I got to host an online writing group with some of my students. I’m still smiling.
Yesterday I presented at the NCTE-NCTM Joint Conference in Chicago with the always-amazing Leah Thomas and Sarah Valter. Our goal was to get teachers interested in and excited about becoming writers. How? Through writing, of course. Here’s my stream-of consciousness work from yesterday.
For the past several weeks, I’ve been posting my allegorical short story in serial form.
Today I bring you the conclusion as Flora comes to the rescue…
This week marks Episode Three in the Floofs vs. Naysayers saga. Will Flora’s appeal to her fellow Floofs succeed?
Last week, I mentioned that I finally – finally! – completed a work of allegorical fiction, and I posted the first installment of it here.
This week, I bring you Part 2, in which Flora, our ever-intrepid protagonist, finds herself in the right place at the right time. Enjoy.
Soapbox: The Way I see Things