Thanks

Friends’ posts on facebook recently have alerted me to this: the days of November evidently invite a shared daily moment of thankfulness. Alas!I didn’t get that memo. You’ll find no daily-thankful-for-X posts from me. That doesn’t mean I am an ingrate. I am thankful. But who should I thank? Ah. A secret component of Thanksgiving. … Continue reading →

Something New

A few years ago, I learned about Austin Kleon. A couple years later, someone reminded me of his ‘blackout poetry.’ Many of the great teachers I’ve met readily confess to being unapologetic thieves, taking fantastic teaching methods, sometimes tweaking them a bit — making learning happen in their classrooms. No surprise then that when teachers discover Austin Kleon, … Continue reading →

‘You Don’t Belong Here’

Wrestling lately with the notion of ‘belonging,’ and finding myself restless. Unsettling at best to admit that I don’t quite feel ‘at home’ in my own places. Sometimes, it’s the body I inhabit that doesn’t seem to fit quite right. I suspect that precious few seven-year-olds consider that a day is coming when they will … Continue reading →

Beauty in Dying Things

Spring — the season of renewal. Promises of a glorious goodness burst forth in tender shoots of green. Summer — the season of flourishing. Evidences of strength and vigor as sturdy, growing things mature. Autumn — the season of harvest. Beauty in the dying things. Wheat fields shimmer in the late summer sun. Weeks later, … Continue reading →