Essays 1-20

Most people aren’t very good at spelling, and most people who are good at it never had any trouble with it. There have been all kinds of studies done to find out whether there are any ways to explain why some people can spell and some can’t. The last time I checked, which was in…

Yelling at children is basically ineffective and counterproductive. It may feel effective, because it may yield immediate results, and it may temporarily let off some steam. There are even times when it’s necessary – when a child is about to run out in front of a moving car. But the long-range effect of consistently yelling…

My article about grumpiness begins to tell a tale that will probably come out in bits and pieces. Nowadays, when I feel like complaining about something, I try to spend time and energy thinking about whether complaining would be an appropriate thing to do, and if so, how to do it. I don’t rule out…

Part of the job of planning a school year has to do with the physical arrangement of the classroom. It used to be simple; the desks were bolted down to the floor, and the classroom was going to look the same year after year. I’m not saying that was the best arrangement. I’m not even…

The PTA, PTO, or PTC is sometimes unfairly seen as a bunch of people who spend all their time having bake sales, selling wrapping paper, and organizing social events. They’re not taken seriously enough – not recognized as dedicated advocates for children and teachers. Perhaps that’s because some of the fund-raising and social activities of…

A friend recently asked me what to do about or how to think about her son, who is beginning to define himself. The definitions children come up with are often very different from what we had in mind when we started parenting, and very different from what we saw during the first few years. And…