Focus on the Good

I was a ‘bad’ student. I caused trouble for teachers, skipped many classes, and still passed high school with honours. I was an enigma, our Vice Principal said. He didn’t know what to do with me, and ended up inviting me to leave. He was always respectful. That young woman joined me, many years later, […]

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What Children Have Taught Me

When I was a teacher, I created a mailbox for each of my students on the bulletin board. It consisted of an envelope, decorated by each child, posted to the board. It was strictly for communication between the individual student and myself. As I taught high school, many of my colleagues doubted the efficacy of such an effort. They […]

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The Coach Learns a Lesson

“Whatever you do, we have to beat this team!” Eight eager heads nod, mouth consent.  We all hate this coach. Two of my girls are injured but have come along to support their teammates.  Our center, a tall blonde, new to basketball waits for the ball drop.  She easily catches the ball and dribbles towards […]

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The domino effect.

Originally posted on Thriving Under Pressure:
Smile like you’re changing the world. Because you are. 🌸 We often think of changing of the world as some great big, grand gesture. Performed on stage with millions of people watching. When in fact it’s just you and me (and 7 billion others). Smiling, connecting, caring, and loving.…

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Churry

Cognitive functioning is currently down a notch.  (I know I’ve complained of this before, but bear with me – I think it merits understanding.) I found a recipe for Easy Lentil Curry on the blog:  Simple Vegan.  Since I love curries and lentils, I decided “easy” must mean it is doable even for me.  Part […]

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Educational Walls

I have this recurring dream that I am teaching a class, composed of adults and adolescents, which is spread out over three rooms.  Try as I might to build community through ice breaking activities, it is physically impossible to reach all the students at one time. I am reminded of how it feels to teach […]

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