A Bilingual Shadorma
I was challenged to write a "shadorma" poem, which is a syllabic poem that comes from Spain, I tried my hand at some bilingual writing in...
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Where Is Jennifer?
My general blog with thoughts on any and all topics
Sep 13, 20221 min read
Tennis Balls (Haibun)
A haibun is a mixture of prose and haiku. Chessie was a puppy until the day he died at age 14. He was full of energy and strong-willed;...
Sep 13, 20221 min read
A teacher is a gardener.
A garden of children; a classroom of flowers. Kinder garten. A teacher is a gardener. We dig, we sweat, we get our hands dirty. We make...
Sep 13, 20221 min read
The Flavors of My Childhood
I swing my legs on the high stools at Steamboat’s between Dad and Kevin, as neon-yellow liquid cheese soaks into my salty fries and hot...
May 28, 20222 min read
I am an elementary school teacher, and I am furious about Uvalde.
I was in junior high when I heard about Columbine. A friend’s mom was driving us home from school. *Nsync was playing on the radio when...
May 30, 20213 min read
Depending On When You Met Me
Depending on when you met me, I might have been Jenny: the first grandchild, learning to jump on the sidewalk in front of my...
May 25, 20212 min read
Slice of Life 5/25/21: Lunch with a friend, made momentous by a pandemic
It’s familiar and strange, all at the same time: My first lunch at a restaurant since the pandemic began 15 months ago. I put on a...
May 8, 20212 min read
An Honest Wish List for Teacher Appreciation Week
Maybe we're greedy. Maybe we're selfish and ungrateful. Or maybe - is it possible? - we want to be treated like the professionals we are....
May 4, 20212 min read
Slice of Life 5/4/21: Dogs on the Couch
I sit down on the couch and pull my laptop into my lap. I used to sit in the middle, so a dog could lay on each side. But then the...
May 2, 20214 min read
Things to Think About During Your MRI
The hardest part of the MRI is you have to remain still and quiet. Nothing to do but wait, nothing to look at but a white tube, nothing...
Apr 20, 20211 min read
a teacher's response from right to left
strengths your see i capable listen do i the beauty the to tongue mother your of sound voice brave your in never have i sounds make to...
Apr 1, 20215 min read
Dewey Beach, Delaware
How do you write a travel blog during a global pandemic? Is it sacrilegious? Diminished solidarity, eroded willpower? Even though we took...
Mar 26, 20213 min read
Flash Fiction: What Waited For Us
The bookshop had multiple doors. There was a huge wooden door, painted beige, so heavy it took one’s entire bodyweight to heft open, with...
Mar 26, 20213 min read
Flash Fiction: Kindergarten Registration
“Welcome to Cabot Elementary! You’re all set and registered for Kindergarten! Here’s a packet for you to read over before school starts....
Mar 24, 20214 min read
All the First Days
This is the year with all the First Days of School. Of course, back in September we had a virtual one, to prepare for which we had hours...
Feb 23, 20215 min read
I cannot tell a lie, part 2: A patchy repair
Last week I grappled with the realization that I had accidentally taught my Kindergarten students the sanitized history of George...
Feb 20, 20213 min read
I cannot tell a lie: George Washington, slavery, and lies I told my students
“George Washington was a good man.” At least, so says my curriculum. Monday was President’s Day, which prompts the annual flurry of...
Feb 16, 20213 min read
The COVID haircut: How to cut your husband's hair during a global pandemic
You will need: good-natured husband, laptop, phone (for before/after photos), swivel chair, shears, clipper, comb, spray bottle, dustpan...
Feb 7, 20212 min read
Vaccine!
I got my COVID-19 vaccine today! A tiny amount of mRNA is now swimming around in my bloodstream, training my cells to mount an attack. My...
Feb 1, 20212 min read
Relaunch: I Am a Writer!
I have loved literacy for longer than I can remember. Even when I was very young, I always proudly owned my identity as a reader. I'm...
Aug 30, 20193 min read
"I always want to give the best to my students."
Our third full day in Bogotá was spent listening and learning. In the morning, we asked questions of a panel of Colombian education...
Aug 11, 20196 min read
Learning in shades of green
After visiting our first public school in Bogotá, we reflected that we couldn't imagine visiting another school later that same day. Our...
Aug 11, 20194 min read
The joy of learning
Our first public school visit was breathtaking. As we climbed several flights of stairs to the library, I felt literally dizzy and...
Jul 29, 20192 min read
What is Fulbright?
The next stop in our "Teachers in Bogotá bus tour" was the Colombian Fulbright Commission headquarters. My understanding of Fulbright was...
Jul 29, 20192 min read
"It's us, in a bowl."
After touring UNITEC (post-secondary education institution - see previous post), I had one of the most amazing and educational lunches of...
Jul 29, 20193 min read
Higher Education, Deeper Learning
Our first school visit started at the top: higher education. Our first morning in Colombia, the newly formed posse of U.S. teachers...
Jul 21, 20193 min read
Bogotá: Initial Impressions of the Capital of Colombia
A feeling of welcome permeated my first night and day in Colombia. I had met up in Atlanta with 12 other U.S. teachers, all participating...
Jul 13, 20193 min read
Four continents, one week
I'm writing from midair on the way to Bogota! I'm delighted to be traveling to South America for the first time ever as part of the...
Jul 10, 20193 min read
Parlez-vous français?
Before I studied abroad in France, everyone teased me that I'd meet a French boy and fall in love. I dismissed this completely, but in...
Jul 1, 20192 min read
Biking to school in the Netherlands
My cousin recently moved to Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands and one of the busiest cities in Europe. Taking full advantage of a...
Jun 23, 20192 min read
Summer Love in California
My cousin married his sweetheart in the sunshine, on the Summer Solstice (the longest day of the year), next to the Butte River in...
Jun 17, 20192 min read
Things I love about Washington D.C.
Monuments: I recommend renting a bicycle to see them all. The best time to do this is after dark, when heat and crowds lessen and the...
Jun 17, 20194 min read
"Home is where one starts from." - T.S. Eliot
Today marks the first day of summer vacation. Last week, we said goodbye to students, boxed up our classrooms, and raised our sparkling...
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