In my teaching career, it didn’t matter much to me whether the class was a lecture or a smaller discussion group. Making connections with my students and seeing them build a sense of community with each other always felt like job #1. Yes…learning names was the starting point…but I found it useful to go deeper … More The Power of Poetry & Place
Today, April 22, marks Earth Day. Next Friday, April 28th, marks Arbor Day. I continue to hope when I think about these two days. I direct that hope towards an increasing number of people gaining awareness of why these two days are marked yearly on our calendars and towards those who strive to learn the … More Quiet Reflection
Several years ago, my wife and I went to an office supply store to get a few Back to School items for her classroom. The school, located in an urban district, provides a budget, but it’s usually not much, so we usually cover the rest for paper, pencils, extra library books for her students, etc. … More Thinking like a kid
I attended a concert the other night, which is a sentence I didn’t think I’d be able to truthfully write at this point in my life. Not because of my age: I’m still reasonably young (for a Supreme Court Justice, which, in full disclosure, I am not nor am likely to be) and in fact, … More Keeping Time
Teachers at our elementary school offer a few after school classes. Miss O has been taking one of these, The Art of Ancient Egypt, from the art teacher, Ms. McNeer. Fortunately for me, Ms. McNeer has taught me some great lessons about creativity in the process. Creativity and artistry just waft off Ms. McNeer every … More Lessons From an Artist
My very first follower on WordPress was Stuart M. Perkins of the Storyshucker blog. Thank goodness I didn’t realize it at the time but that’s like going out to learn how to shoot basketballs and LeBron James shows up. But I figured it out in pretty short order because I figured out how to follow … More Episode 12: On Storytelling with Stuart M. Perkins
On a Ten Percent Happier podcast I listened to recently, Dan Harris asked his guest, Prof. Lindsey Cameron, what her spiritual practice was. She said that she practiced meditation and a form of African spirituality. She was specific about the sequence – she meditates first and then prays. She recapped: “I hear first, and then … More The Creative Rhythm
I know this sounds like a topic that’s been exhausted. And I thought I knew everything there was to know about journaling. I mean, it’s paper and a writing utensil, what’s the big deal? However, I’ve been journaling my goddess booty off over the last few months, and I’ve come to learn a few things I was never aware of before. So, if you think you know how to journal the right way, if you’ve never journaled and think it’s silly, or if you are open to hearing what I have to say, then I think you’re gonna get something out of this post. So, let’s proceed… … More How To Journal The Right Way
In my daughter’s second grade classroom, the teacher has arranged it into tables of 4 students. At this point about 2/3 of the way through the year, I think she has a good idea of strengths and weaknesses and a lot of experience finding good combos. The latest grouping that my daughter, Miss O, is … More The Subtle Shaping of Our Brains
Help the people, help each other. … More Friendship & Counterbalance
The Heart of the Matter 