As part of my AP English summer assignment, I ask my students to write me an introductory letter describing what they hope to achieve by taking AP English. Some are brutally honest: “It’s for my Honors diploma.” Some are flattering: “I’ve heard you’re a great teacher and I had to take your class because I’d love it!” But the most common personal descriptor I see is students who describe themselves as “Bad at English.” "We can do hard things" A few years ago I attended a ... Read More about “We can do hard things” – the Power of a Growth Mindset
Waiting for Baby: a Labor Story Part One
Jump to Waterbirth: a Labor Story Part 2 I have been married for eight years, and spent the better part of six of those years either pregnant or breastfeeding a baby. My mom had her first baby at 29, so growing up I never imagined I'd have three kids under the age of 5 before I turned 30, but whelp, here I am! I delivered Spartacus three weeks early at an army hospital in Texas, and Little Miss was born half an hour after arriving at the hospital, but Scoober Doo #3 made us wait -- not long, ... Read More about Waiting for Baby: a Labor Story Part One
Spring Break Craft: Wine Cork Flag
Spring break this year wasn't glamorous. One kid got the flu, the other got annual shots, I got a cold, and of course it was a drill weekend for Hubster (It's ALWAYS a drill weekend, it seems). Also it snowed. At any rate, there wasn't a lot of extra time for sleep, projects, or even a ton of relaxing. Still, I carved out two hours to create something with my hands, a rare feat in my world. I managed a Pinterest project and did NOT fail: I made an American flag out of wine corks. Making a ... Read More about Spring Break Craft: Wine Cork Flag
Romeo & Juliet, according to freshmen
One of the summative projects for my freshman English 9 Romeo and Juliet unit is a "Tic-tac-toe" project. They get a checkerboard of 9 options and they draw a line through the middle, each producing a visual, written, and performance component. It's an easy creative project that generally yields fun results during the last week before spring break. Since I am enjoying grading them, I thought I would share some student work with my readers. I may have edited for some readability and a few missing ... Read More about Romeo & Juliet, according to freshmen
Teacher Burnout…and solutions
a new experience This is my seventh year in the secondary classroom. When I began teaching, I didn't imagine I would be teaching this long. In fact, nearly 1 in 5 teachers tap out by year 5. I didn't know what I would be doing, but I packed up my classroom each spring vaguely wondering how many more times I would do that. While I have LOVED the experience, this year, more than ever before, I am experiencing the clear signs of teacher burnout. I can tell because I am not having as much ... Read More about Teacher Burnout…and solutions
My child said, “I hate you”
Spartacus, our oldest, will turn 5 this year, and he is in his second year of full-time preschool. He attends a wonderful Lutheran ministry, but despite the best efforts of his parents teachers, that pesky original sin side keeps sneaking through! Today, for the first time he shouted up the stairs at his daddy those piercing words: "I hate you!" When my child says, "I hate you" I was in the kitchen, cleaning up from supper. Daddy was upstairs getting bath time ready. Spartacus had not ... Read More about My child said, “I hate you”
What to do after a car accident
Life101 Adulting Series Let's assume you didn't read my 3 tips for winter driving post, and you slid into another car on your way to work this morning. What should you do if you're in a fender bender? Lucky for you I've been in several car accidents -- none of which were my fault!! -- so I can give you some tips on what to do if you find yourself in your first vehicular altercation. Obviously if anyone is injured, your first step is to call 911 and get help as soon as possible, but if you ... Read More about What to do after a car accident
How to Drive in the Winter: 3 Quick Tips
Life101 Adulting Series We had our first major snowfall this past week in Indiana, and my high school students, like every other driver on the road, freaked out. Because driving in the winter can be scary, and maybe something will go wrong. How should you drive in slippery conditions? Winter Drive Tip One: Just Drive SLOWER I know you're running late. But a tardy to class is better than a car accident, any day. Give yourself twice as much time to get anywhere in snowy and icy ... Read More about How to Drive in the Winter: 3 Quick Tips
Advent with a 4-year-old
Last week we enjoyed that most precious of Advent preparation events, the preschool Christmas program. 4-year-old Spartacus was thrilled to play Joseph. It was everything a children's Christmas program should be: adorable, disorganized in spite of all the preparation, technical difficulties, and children waving and picking their noses. During "This Little Light of Mine," Joseph disappeared briefly, having misplaced his star prop somewhere under his chair. When he resurfaced, his fabric ... Read More about Advent with a 4-year-old
Best Christmas Gift for Everyone
Last year, Spartacus received a Christmas present that got put away with the decorations. It got pulled from the basement this past weekend as we put up our first *live* tree, and Spartacus has rediscovered this toy. And we have discovered it is the Greatest Christmas Present Ever For Anyone. WHAT IS IT, you ask? Indoor snowballs. Indoor snowballs, you say? Why yes. The are soft, and have a pleasant squish that feels just a little snowy (a little akin to how it feels to squeeze a hacky ... Read More about Best Christmas Gift for Everyone
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