Room to grow

One summer I worked with a 10 year-old who’d been attending a small private school where her mother worked and was headed for public middle school in the fall.  Her parents were concerned that she wasn’t prepared. This 10 year-old has an older sister, so she had an idea of what would be expected of [...]

The malcontents

In general when I hear people use the word malcontent it’s to refer to someone who’s not only displeased with the way things are but seems to look for reasons to be displeased.  The word is often accompanied by some degree of sneer or disapproval.  The dictionary is a little more charitable with its definition; [...]

Scott Noelle on enjoying parenting

I was delighted this morning to find myself on the blog of Scott Noelle, parenting coach and writer.  Scott writes a blog called the Daily Groove; his site is called Enjoy Parenting.  (Thanks to Yvonne for the link; Yvonne’s blog is at www.welive learning.blogspot.com but the title is “aprendiendo todos de todo” which, according to [...]

Tools for writing

Let’s say I decide to build a house.  I go to my father (who built the one I grew up in) and tell him my intentions.  And he says “Good for you.  Here are the tools you’ll need,” handing me, say, a screwdriver, a hammer, and a handsaw. My face falls a bit, because I [...]

Lenses

A friend of mine said once upon receiving a compliment on a particularly stunning photograph her husband had taken of her, “It helps when the person behind the camera loves you.” Does it?  The skeptic in me sneers and says the camera’s a machine, and does its own thing.  That someone else in that same [...]

John Holt on structure and freedom

I recently had cause to reread John Holt’s Freedom and Beyond, one of my favorites of his.  I came across this passage which, like so much of his work, rings as true today as it might have when he wrote it decades ago: One group of words, that twist and hide truth and understanding, is [...]

Falling down on the credibility job

Yesterday I was considering buying a product online so I read some reviews.  One caught my attention because it matched especially well the frustrating experience that had led me to consider buying the product.  The reviewer’s comments were very positive. One of the options I had after reading it was to read her other reviews [...]

Again with the technology

Here’s the other thing about reserving judgment when it comes to kids’ technology use: it makes them more available for input about it.  If all they hear is “Put that thing down,” or “All you ever do is stare at that thing,” or “Only ___ minutes and then you’re done,” the dynamic is limited to [...]

Behind resistance…

I just spoke with a friend who’s considering taking a new job that would be a huge step up in responsibility and opportunity.  There’s a great deal of leadership involved in this new position. She’s concerned that some of her traits, a need for ongoing creative outlet and for periods of solitude, a distaste for [...]

Lighten the mood

A few years ago, I took over teaching a fourth grade class in the middle of the school year.  The teacher who’d had the class for the first four months of the year seemed to have been quite serious, quite organized, and quite, according to my students, strict.  Fortunately for them, they were quick to [...]