Imagine with me a walk in the woods or along a path in a state park, carrying a foraging basket. You bend to pick a purple violet, marvel at its velvety petals, sniff its sweet scent, and then you chew it slowly, sensing the delicate essence of the …Read More

“Tomorrow we don’t have school, because the teachers come to work. Monday when we come back, we have music and library.” This was my end-of-day announcement on March 12, 2020. Little did I know that was the last end-of-day announcement I would make to that class! We had …Read More

“I can’t wait ‘til journaling time. We get to start our books!” The class they’ve been anticipating for the past few weeks has now arrived. First grade students will embark on their big writing project of the year as we explore what it means to be an author …Read More

Not a Good Day “The directions say I am supposed to find fourteen adverbs in this story,” she said. “I only found three of them, two not’s and one very.” I was tired of this day and of this conversation, and inwardly I rolled my eyes. Of course, …Read More

One of the best things about seasons is the excitement as a spent season rolls over into a brand-new one. While we all have favorites, spring is especially exciting with new life popping up everywhere. Who doesn’t feel their sprits rise with the return of the songbirds and …Read More

“These girls are just not getting along. I think at one point each one has felt left-out or bullied. I don’t know how to help them!” worried a new first-grade teacher. “Teacher, they won’t let me play with them.” “They ran away when I came to play.” “I …Read More