Not many years ago I complained to my dad about how hard it was to keep the deer from eating my fruit trees, vegetables, and flowers; he told me whitetail deer, as well as pigeons and geese, were nearly extinct in the first half of the 20th Century. It’s hard to imagine now, but he rarely saw a deer when … Read
Women’s Work
It’s complicated. Cook. Wash dishes. Mop the floor. Clean the toilet. Do the laundry. Change diapers. Even though we have careers, paying jobs, and own businesses, much of this work falls on our shoulders. And laps. And keeps us on our toes. In the last year, I fired our cleaning service and started taking care of my granddaughter June one day … Read
Want Better Discussions? Frame the Conversation
Just as important as the verbal interactions we use with students, we must also be aware of our non-verbal behaviors. Eye-contact, smiles, looking interested, and open body posture can make the environment feel much more open and welcoming. When we relax and employ these more positive nonverbal behaviors, students tend to engage in and contribute to classroom discussions (Herman, 2008). … Read
Want Better Discussions? Just Wait A Few Seconds.
My last post introduced some questioning methods that can engage students in more authentic classroom conversations. Now that you’ve had a chance to try some open-ended questions or the HRASE Strategy, and incorporate them into your classroom repertoire, we have two more approaches to try Wait Time I and Wait Time II. This can be a powerful way to encourage … Read
Want Better Discussions? Questions are the Answer
Many teachers want to include more authentic conversations into their classrooms, yet getting students to deeply engage in large group discussions can be difficult. It turns out the key to improving the quality of classroom discussions is to improve the way we teach. This is kind of a good news/bad news situation. The good news is that we have control … Read
New Year, New Intention
So I’m driving home from yoga class listening to an interview of Sue Grafton, the great detective writer and thinking I need to just write a little bit every day this year. Well, is it too late since yesterday was the first? And then I realize I’m hungry, and I see that the garbage can is tipped over blocking the … Read
Devastation in Puerto Rico
Shelly Johnson, Martha McCormick and I planned to travel to Puerto Rico this Tuesday. Next Step was chosen to present at the North American Association of Environmental Educators’ (NAAEE) Annual Conference in San Juan this week. Our presentations were planned, and we were looking forward to learning about a place we had never visited. Instead, we have anxiously followed the … Read
Unexpected Turns in Life
When asked where we live, I joke that my husband & I live in a halfway house. We are renting a place located half way between our previous life and our next life. You see, we sold our home in Beaverdale, where we’ve lived most of the last 20 years. We are building a new home in the country but … Read
Suit Up and Show Up
Nobody died. But it feels like a tragedy of major proportions. We have a president-elect who has openly expressed contempt for women, people of color, immigrants, Muslims, disabled people and LGBTQ folks. What have we done? How do we respond to this? I honestly don’t know, but I have some thoughts in this first 18 hours or so of pondering. … Read
You Can Too
I can sweet talk, oh yes I can, but I choose to speak forthrightly. To declare, to proclaim. Speak now; find evidence later. But DO find the evidence. Don’t skip the hard stuff. I’m known for outbursts, oh yes I am, but I choose to use my passion something like a fire tempers metal. Temper words. Anneal my words in … Read
