Reflections on teaching, parenting, and living
My niece almost drowned. Well, not exactly. My 8-year-old niece was wearing flippers and full-face goggles to rival any serious snorkeler. She was hanging out in the deep end in her blue inner tube— the kind with the hole in the bottom. My mom (who does not swim, but has eagle eyes to account for... Continue Reading →
In my AP Literature class (which doubles as a dual-enrollment Survey of British Literature course), the months of September and some of October were largely taken up with the reading of Jane Eyre. I purposefully slowed down how we worked through the novel, and I was pleased to have the majority of the class reading... Continue Reading →
The problem was, I didn’t just breastfeed. I became a breastfeeding martyr. I became obsessed with ounces and feedings and lost myself in a sea of guilt that I was not doing enough for my baby. I would sit in our green chair-and-a-half with an ottoman armed with the Boppy pillow around my waist and the remote. Patrick would nurse and fall asleep, and I would watch TV. Then I would feel guilty because I wasn’t playing him classical music or teaching him baby sign language.
I have often used this platform as a way to communicate my love and appreciation for my former teachers and coaches. If I had to pick one favorite year of school from pre-school through grad school, it would be Mrs. Nina Lindsey’s 4th grade class. Mrs. Nina Giles (who will always be Mrs. Lindsey to... Continue Reading →
Our Danville Science Center membership was the best $25 we spent all year, and it seems like one of best kept secrets (that shouldn’t be kept) around. If you don’t live in the Danville area, read on to find out about science center partnerships around the country. Membership is affordable for all at only $65... Continue Reading →
It has been several years since we have been in school on April Fool's Day (otherwise known as March 32nd) due to Easter and Spring Break. In the past, our school newspaper has had a lot of fun with this special day by announcing a change to the theme of the prom and dress code... Continue Reading →
Read this original post on aplithelp.com When I received my copy of Terrance Hayes' book American Sonnets for my Past and Future Assassin I decided that I wanted to freshen up my sonnet unit to look beyond the traditional sonnets. I had about six 90-minute class periods to devote to sonnets before Spring Break. This... Continue Reading →
Our family Christmas card was the #momfail of the 2018 holiday season (or the first of several, it is early after all). After having beautiful pictures taken with Santa by the wonderfully talented Mariah Springs, I spelled my own kid’s name wrong on the card. Yep, I left the R out of Patrick christening him... Continue Reading →
Once again, this year I was able to teach Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory" as a mentor text for my students to write their own winter narratives. The full lesson plan is available on Moving Writers. I am sharing one of my own Christmas Memories here. The assignment encourages my students to use both their written and... Continue Reading →
The National Council of Teachers of English Conference is such a complex undertaking and often times overwhelming experience that I decided to split my observation into three parts. Part One focused on resources while Part Two will focus on my overall takeaways. Part Three will be a recommended reading list from #NCTE18. We must TEACH... Continue Reading →
Learning Curve 