This week it has been even more of a pleasure than usual to spend time with eighth graders. They’ve been creating social reform concept maps, an oldie-but-goodie project that I… Continue reading
“On the Best Days, Our Students Teach Us,” MiddleWeb
Category: Storytelling
“When Staying Nonpartisan Feels Just Too Difficult,” MiddleWeb
Regardless of where teachers land politically, and whether or not you hope to remain an impartial guide, it can sometimes feel like tiptoeing through a minefield to facilitate a balanced discussion of current events… Continue reading
“What Summer Camp Photos Don’t Show You,” Kveller
Of course I check them every day. Doesn’t everyone? Each day, my 10-year-old’s summer camp website posts several hundred photos of activities. Pool play, maccabiah games, horseback riding. The images are glorious. They show… Continue reading
“Admitting Failure,” Independent School Magazine
It is hard for us to admit failures, even small ones, as teachers. It’s easier to do it in the first several years, when everything is supposed to be new and challenging. But at some point between about five and 10 years in… Continue reading
“Walking Alone After Dark,” Zocalo Public Square
After we moved two years ago to Montrose, a Glendale neighborhood tucked against the Verdugo Hills, some friends—all moms like me—found out I walked every night. They wanted to… Continue reading
“10 Things I Learned Sitting in a Classroom,” MiddleWeb
Last week I remembered how hard it can be to sit. For five days, usually eight hours a day, I attended a seminar for history teachers filled with inspiring lectures and activities. As fascinating as the content was, I learned almost as much about what it’s like to be a student… Continue reading
“Choose Hope,” San Diego Jewish World
My mom, Jane, is the last person I thought would get brain cancer young, at 61. She seemed indomitable, a road warrior on a mission. As a high school English teacher, she wanted to prepare students to tackle… Continue reading
