Tag Archives: teaching

Poet Lee Bennett Hopkins

Posted on August 15, 2019 by

The world of children’s literature lost a champion this week with the death of Lee Bennett Hopkins, poet and anthologist. I had the good fortune to meet and interview Hopkins when I was working as a graduate assistant to Dr. … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, commentary, Education, interviews, teaching, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fire at CT’s Shakespeare Theater

Posted on January 17, 2019 by

My heart weeps for a Connecticut theater destroyed by fire recently. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/13/arts/stratford-shakespeare-theater-fire.html I grew up attending performances at the American Shakespeare Festival Theater in Stratford, CT. My mother took my sister and me to its shows, mostly Shakespeare plays; it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in commentary, Education, Family, Shakespeare, teaching, Theater | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Sharing Amanda at Bat

Posted on June 26, 2018 by

It’s summer! Little League baseball and t-ball games are in full swing. Before school let out, I shared Amanda at Bat with fourth graders at a public school in Teaneck, NJ. My friend Caleb, one of the teachers, invited me to … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Education, parenting, Reading, teaching, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Do Something

Posted on February 22, 2018 by

Do Something. It’s a mantra that’s been playing inside my head since the 2016 election. Last July, I joined the League of Women Voters, a nearly 100-year-old organization dedicated to preserving our democracy. Inspired by a friend in Connecticut whose chapter teaches … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, Education, teaching, women | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Back to School: Teachable Moments

Posted on August 29, 2017 by

Visiting my sister Madeline last week, we took in the eclipse and did some errands before she returned to work as a teacher on Wednesday. She’d been into her classroom several times over the summer, labeling bookshelves, covering bulletin boards, … Continue reading →

Posted in commentary, Education, Family, teaching, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Trump’s Vocabulary

Posted on February 12, 2017 by

As a child, I discovered the thesaurus and loved finding synonyms for words. My parents had the old-fashioned kind, organized conceptually instead of alphabetically, and I spent hours making word lists. As a writer, I love the thesaurus. As a … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, commentary, Education, Grandchildren, parenting, Reading, teaching, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

9/11 & Grandparents Day: Choices to Make

Posted on September 11, 2016 by

It’s National Grandparents Day. It’s also the 15th anniversary of 9/11. And both these days resonate for me. On Sept. 11, 2001, I was teaching 8th grade Language Arts  in South Orange, NJ when the principal made a vague announcement over … Continue reading →

Posted in commentary, Education, Family, History, New York City, parenting, teaching, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Amanda at Bat: Some Readers Respond

Posted on June 25, 2016 by

My sister Madeline, an ESOL teacher in Silver Spring, Maryland shared my book Amanda at Bat with her school, reading it to several classes of 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students. They wrote me letters about the book. Some shared how … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Education, Reading, teaching, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Stephen King’s 11/22/63

Posted on May 13, 2016 by

When I tell people I’m reading a Stephen King novel, many are surprised. Really? Isn’t he all horror? The skeptics ask. Not all his books. And over the years, I’ve managed to read quite a few that capture the imagination, … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, commentary, Education, History, Movies & TV, Reading, teaching, travel, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Book Talk at Son of A Saint, New Orleans

Posted on February 3, 2016 by

Monday through Thursday, from 3:30-8 pm, a group of boys, ranging in ages 10-18, find their way to the Son of A Saint clubhouse,in the Mid-City section of New Orleans. They attend different schools; have various interests and economic backgrounds. … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Education, Friendship, History, Reading, teaching, teenagers, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments