I know January 1st is supposed to be the beginning of a new year, but as a long-time teacher, my year has always started when school begins in the late summer or fall and ends when school gets out. As the end of the semester draws close, I have my usual set…
Folks often don’t believe me when I tell them I’m an introvert. After all, I’m a lively pistol of a teacher. I love to laugh, and I’m a good listener and empathetic friend. But like all introverts, I need my alone time to fill up my tank. This is a handy quality to have for…
At least for the moment, I’ve O-D’ed on my obsessive binging on early morning political talk shows. Starting each day getting more and more anxious about the state of the world and our national politics wasn’t doing wonders for my blood pressure. So now, when I jump on my exercise bike and start pedaling, I…
Last week was spring break, and I holed up for days getting ready for a keynote presentation I’m doing this coming Saturday for an adjunct scholars’ conference at Indiana University Southeast. My topic is: “Building Strong Student-Teacher Relationships and a Positive Classroom Climate.” I’m actually somewhat of an accidental keynote speaker. I submitted this…
There’s no question that aging involves losses—of loved ones, youthful energy, and physicality. But one thing I find I’ve gained as I’ve gotten older is the appreciation of life and the richness of everyday experiences. This past weekend, I was almost overwhelmed with a tremendous feeling of gratitude. It began with my annual trip…
Growing up, my favorite super hero was Superman. I longed to be able to fly, bend steel with my bare hands, and stop bad guys in their tracks. Sadly, I never acquired any of Superman’s powers, but I recently discovered I have one. I can stop any quartz watch dead in its tracks simply…
It’s been 36 years, and I am still madly in love with my husband. Maybe it would be more accurate to say that I keep falling in love with the same person over and over, who happens to be my spouse. It’s not about any of the stuff you see in the media that’s supposed…
I’ve yet to meet a writer who says, “Yippee! Another rejection!” While rejection is an inevitable part of putting our work out there, it’s never fun. When I got one of those dreaded “No’s” last week, I went through my usual three bags of Oreos during two days of total dejection. Who in their…
Deb Shapiro, the publicist for Page Street, arranged to offer a giveaway on KidsBuzz/Shelf Awareness for my newly released novel, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU. She decided to have the entries sent directly to me, presumably so that I could begin building an email list of readers who were interested in my work. This…