According to our local forecast for tomorrow, we’re supposed to get freezing rain. It’s not a surprising forecast because, after all, it’s winter—but it sure is messing up my plans! My husband and I were having friends over tomorrow evening, but we don’t want them driving on potentially hazardous roads. I have a few words…
Literacy
The Missing Wok
I’m currently pondering a mystery: Why, when you move from one home to another, do you inevitably lose items? I’m at the tail end of a move, and the current missing items include a wok, a box full of glitter, and a dust pan with an attached whisk broom. Is there some sort of Bermuda…
No Beach For Me
Usually, at some point in time during the year, I end up at the beach. Living in North Carolina, the beach is an easy weekend trip and is generally super relaxing, once you get through the traffic. I love walking on the sand, looking for seashells, and listening to the whoosh of the waves. Alas,…
The Missing Mitten
Somewhere in another dimension are all the mittens and gloves I’ve lost throughout the years. I’m convinced they’ve shacked up with the lost socks, container lids, and one particularly mysterious Allen wrench that disappeared after a fight with a garbage disposal. I think losing items in your own house is one of the most frustrating…
Broken Brains and Books
I have always been an enthusiastic reader of fiction, in particular fantasy and sci-fi, but I have to admit that social media has changed my reading habits. I find that books don’t grab my attention like they did in the past, and I suspect it’s because my brain is used to the fast pace of…
National Roller Coaster Day
I would be a huge fan of roller coasters if it weren’t for the height. In fact, I’ve been on indoor coasters that don’t have the height factor and I think they’re super fun. But you can just forget about getting me on a ride that begins with a slow creep up a near vertical…
Sing a Song
When I was in the classroom, I taught a lot of concepts with songs and chants. Why? Because I can remember the songs I learned in third grade better than I can remember what I had for breakfast this morning. Songs and chants are valuable tools in the classroom. They engage students and increase retention…
A Birthday Freebie!
Today is my birthday, and it’s a big one. Let’s just say that my cake would have many, many candles…but that’s okay! I actually really enjoy birthdays. I believe that getting older is a privilege, and honestly, the older I get the more I really know who I am and feel good about myself. Plus,…
Old Classics and New Classics
I was recently looking at popular spring picture books, and I could easily pick out the old classics. They’re the ones we likely heard as children ourselves and still use in our own classrooms. Here are a few that jumped out at me. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle In the Tall, Tall, Grass…
Being a Home Body
Cheers to you, teacher friends! This is my usual morning iced coffee with vanilla creamer. Everyone at The Mailbox® is working from home. So of course I’m doing my job in leggings and a hoodie sans makeup. It’s productive and quiet here—although my cats keep trying to sit on the work laptop. When I’m not…