Education

Do you remember where you were on the morning of September 11, 2001? I do. I was in my senior English class at Zachary High School when a classmate checked into class late and told us a plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Center towers. We were slightly amused at the thought of a plane literally crashing into a building, but that amusement turned into confusion then concern and fear as we realized it was a deliberate attack. Our teacher had decided to humor us and turned on the radio, so we heard when the second tower was hit. And the Pentagon. And a fourth plane had crashed somewhere in Pennsylvania. The rest of the school...

I sat hand in hand with my husband at our first Early Learning Open House, and I surveyed the room. I cast furtive glances at the mothers and couples in the room, making mental notes about which ones I knew and which ones I would know soon. There we were, moms and dads of Pre-K, TK, and Kindergarten kiddos, all captive to the superintendent and director of the Early Learning division of our private school.  I had to nearly pinch myself for finally being at an open house for my own child. As a teacher I have been to 10 open houses, but this one felt uniquely different. This time all of the introductions and information was about my...

Mental illness is such a tough topic to discuss- so much so that I'm not even exactly sure how to start this post. When people experience a physical ailment like diabetes or ALS, they are encouraged to share about their experiences openly and generally we flood them with support and understanding and encouragement. But struggles with mental illness are typically kept under wraps often because people are scared about how they will be perceived. The problem with the silence surrounding mental health is that it leaves our understanding of mental illness limited to images from dramatic Lifetime movies or news reports of mass shooters. But that's not what most mental illness looks like. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 25% of the...

Motherhood is filled with great joy.  But often, especially when you have small children, it also feels a little like the movie Groundhog Day. A little, well, monotonous day after day. mo not o nous adjective tedious and repetitious; lacking in variety and interest. Sometimes, we need a little inspiration to remind us of the bigger picture. I've recently started listening and watching TED Talks, and I can't get enough! According to the TED website, "TED is a nonprofit devoted to 'ideas worth spreading', usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers most all topics - from science to business to global issues...

The waves can crash at any time these days.  In the middle of cooking chili or in the middle of a Friday Night Lights marathon with my husband or even mid-step on the stair climber at the gym.  The waves of anxiety and anticipation will overcome me.  This may sound like a serious issue, but don’t worry, it’s just typical middle-of-the-summer panic for a teacher.  This may surprise you, but we teachers get nervous before the start of every school year just like you and your child.  We, too, anticipate the unknown and ask some of the same questions your child ponders.  Do these sound familiar? “Who will be in my class?” “Will they like me?” “What will my day be like?” “Can I...