When I taught in the classroom, May 1 always lifted my spirits. The arrival of May feels like the gateway of summer to me. It’s the downhill slide toward the end of the school year, which is always both bittersweet and exciting. I think it’s a rare teacher who doesn’t look forward to summer. So…
Doesn’t this photograph bring a sense of calm? It sure does for me. I love summertime reading and if I can be reading at the beach, I am in paradise! I recently ran across a fun readers survey (with the help of my blogger pal, Karen) compiled by Thriftbooks, a large web-based book seller. If…
The rumbles and cracks of thunder can startle even the most stoic. Here in the boro, the last seven days have brought us five thunderstorms and each has been a real doozy! With this in mind, I thought I’d share a nifty little song that has a soothing effect on children, adults, and even pets!…
I recently read an informative blog about mattress tags that made me chuckle. I probably should be embarrassed to admit this, but for years I never removed a tag from a mattress! I mean, seriously, did I think the mattress police would track me down if I tore off that floppy piece of irritation? According…
Those of you who have no trouble letting go of “stuff” may not be interested in this blog. I’m not one of those folks. I’m a teacher after all, and many of us teachers know how to hang onto stuff for ever and ever in the event that we might one day need it. Yeppers,…
Since today is the first official day of summer, let’s talk summer bucket lists! Every teacher I know has a list of things he or she hopes to accomplish during the summer. I have one. You have one. My list isn’t written down anywhere; it just rocks and rolls in my head. Colleagues of mine…
Ah, summertime! It’s a time for sleeping, using the bathroom whenever you want to, and even reflecting. Sure! Reflection is an important part of downtime. And everyone can use a bit of time to reflect on ways they can improve their lives, tackle bad habits, or take stock of how things are going. For example,…
Do you love lasagna? I do! This Wednesday, July 29, is National Lasagna Day. Yeppers, it’s a great excuse to eat a serving or two of the scrumptious pasta dish. And while I’m pretty sure lasagna doesn’t appear in your lesson plans anywhere (or does it?), the dish makes me think of a lasagna-loving cartoon…
When I read this fun fact, I knew it was one teachers would enjoy. Did you know summers on the planet Uranus are 21 Earth years long? Now wouldn’t that be a deserving summer break? Simply plan a summer trip to Uranus and return 21 years later. Be sure to take your family with you!…
Can it really be this easy? Heck, it’s just four words! Why not give it a try? These thoughts were twirling in my head after hearing a father explain on national television how he encourages his children to read. Simply put, he asks his kids what they are reading. He doesn’t toss the question out…