I am working on my 5th children’s book. It is about the death of a loved one: Kevin learns how to accept the inevitable loss of his grandmother. I am inspired to address this topic because of personal losses I’ve experienced in the past few years as well as seeing my students (ages 10-13) grieve the deaths of mothers, fathers, and other family members.
A student made this for me a long time ago.
I mentioned that I love to roller skate. I don’t even remember telling my students that about myself. Teaching is demanding and the parts that I don’t enjoy: “paperwork/grading,” meetings, and (now) wearing a mask while talking all day and handling parent frustrations with online work…are growing.
We just went on break. I intend to refresh. Reflect. Re-energize. I love my job. I have the rest of the year to be better.
The older (and wiser) I get, the more I realize that my role as a parent is primarily to help preserve my children’s sense of wonder, self-confidence, and love of self and world.
I was raised to worry. I know they meant well, but it’s the worst thing to teach your child. It fosters anxiety and self-doubt.
My 16-year old daughter says, “Mom, I heard a great quote the other day:
If you raise your children, you spoil your grandkids. If you spoil your children, you raise your grandkids.”
Ah, how true that is.
Chloe shops too much.
I used to read Highlights Magazine from cover to cover as a kid. I loved the stories, the nature articles, the riddles and, of course, Goofus and Gallant. I was heartened to read the CEO’s plea of humanity in his letter to the public lately. Indeed, we need to separate politics from “human decency”:
“As a company that helps children become their best selves—curious, creative, caring, and confident—we want kids to understand the importance of having moral courage. Moral courage means standing up for what we believe is right, honest, and ethical—even when it is hard.
Our company’s core belief, stated each month in Highlights magazine, is that ‘Children are the world’s most important people.’ This is a belief about ALL children.
With this core belief in our minds and hearts, we denounce the practice of separating immigrant children from their families and urge our government to cease this activity, which is unconscionable and causes irreparable damage to young lives.
This is not a political statement about immigration policy. This is a statement about human decency, plain and simple. This is a plea for recognition that these are not simply the children of strangers for whom others are accountable. This is an appeal to elevate the inalienable right of all children to feel safe and to have the opportunity to become their best selves.
We invite you—regardless of your political leanings—to join us in speaking out against family separation and to call for more humane treatment of immigrant children currently being held in detention facilities. Write, call, or email your government representatives.
Let our children draw strength and inspiration from our collective display of moral courage. They are watching.”
Kent Johnson, CEO
Highlights Magazine
Old photos of my daughter with someone else’s puppy.
I’m in a room of about 100 teachers from all over Arizona. I feel blessed to be here. We’re all pursuing National Board Certification. Sure, we get a (small) financial award, but the biggest reason that we’ve shown up is that each of us will deepen our teaching practice and bring more to each of our 30 – 180 students each day.
The great majority of teachers are exceptional people.
And then there are these bigots (who ought to lose their jobs):
13% of their student body is Latin-American. Idaho needs to do better for the children.
Kismet 
