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
Little Ones to Him Belong
Intercom Devotion Earlier this week I was rocking my daughter, who is almost two, to sleep before bed. I sang her the simple hymn, “Jesus Loves Me,” which is one of her favorites. She has some speech delays, but she knows some sign language, and she loves this song because she can sign the refrain, “Yes, Jesus Loves Me.” As I cuddled my rapidly growing child and reflected on how quickly this time goes, I sang her the line, “Little ones to him belong, they are weak but he is strong.” ... Read More about Little Ones to Him Belong
Grading Gaffs: The Cows
We just wrapped up The Crucible in my AP English class. I was grading one of their online reading quizzes, and realized there must be something SparkNotes missed on their coverage of Act IV: the cows. The Cows The Crucible (for once I did NOT get parent complaints on) is a retelling of the Salem Witch Trials, and the final climactic act occurs in the jail before the execution of some of the lead characters. The scene opens with some of the "confessed" witches: the Barbados slave Tituba and ... Read More about Grading Gaffs: The Cows
Vlog: Down and Dirty with the Mayflower Compact
Earlier this fall, I assigned my students a paper I knew they would struggle with, because there wasn't a "right" way to write it. Student LOVE to ask, "What do you want me to write?" And I LOVE to respond, "I don't care as long as you defend it." Still, I knew I would get the same six questions eighteen times in the hour before the paper was due for digital submission. And I didn't have time to respond to the same email over and over again. My solution? Vlogging. I made them a ... Read More about Vlog: Down and Dirty with the Mayflower Compact
Life Hacks: Debunked
Life101 Adulting Series The "life hack" is a fairly new term to describe a fairly old idea: how to live life more efficiently. It usually is applied to clever tricks that make you think, "Why didn't I think of that?" The life hack has spawned countless blog posts and click bait promising you ways to use things you already own to make your world run more smoothly. The problem is, many of these "life hacks" are more akin to "pinterest fails" that cause you to work harder than you need to. ... Read More about Life Hacks: Debunked
Sparty Scribbles: a Year of Art
When Spartacus left his 3-year-old preschool classroom to move to the fours, he was gifted with his "journal," the notebook that all the kids "wrote" in at the writing station all year. One of my kid's godparents is finishing her Ph.D in psychology, and she is fascinated to follow my children's development. As I flipped through his "art" in this notebook, I knew she could draw grand conclusions from the inner workings of his brain. I'm pretty convinced he just hates coloring, but ... Read More about Sparty Scribbles: a Year of Art
Getting hired as a teenager
Life101 Adulting Series So many applications request experience, but how can anyone get experience without getting a job? Most 16-year-old applicants do not have paid work experience, and getting that first job can be intimidating. Here are some tips to consider when trying to get hired as a teenager -- or for anyone applying for jobs! 1. Before your apply Create a resume. More posts on this soon, but there are tons of templates out there to use as a launch points. Resumes should ... Read More about Getting hired as a teenager
Personal Bank Accounts and Trusting Yourself
Life101 Adulting Series Personal Bank Accounts & Learning to Trust Yourself Bragging or Complimenting? I gave my students a list of common job interview questions. They practiced asking and answering them for a while, and then we debriefed. I always struggle with personal failing questions: “What is your weakness?” “How would you resolve a dispute with a coworker?” It’s hard to turn them into growth points for a positive interview. But my students had a different quandary: “How do I ... Read More about Personal Bank Accounts and Trusting Yourself
Body Language and Communication for Students
Life101 Adulting Series When I asked students what skills they hope to gain from our Life101 class, the most popular answer had something to do with money handling, but a close second involved getting along with people. Communication. Body Language. Isn't it interesting that in this social media generation, where my students are connected via their smartphones to each other 24 hours a day, they lack face-to-face communication skills? I'm glad they recognize it, but fixing it isn't ... Read More about Body Language and Communication for Students
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