There’s no place like home. Home is where the heart is. Home, sweet home. But for many of us, home isn’t what it once was. As I was growing up, I lived with my two parents. We moved four times as I was growing up, but we lived in one house for ten years, and…
As I write each article, I fantasize that I’ll have an effect on people’s thinking and behavior – maybe change some minds or habits. I have no such delusions about this article. If your mind was or is going to be changed about food, and your habits changed, it probably won’t be because of this…
There have been people who have told me that I must be great with children, because I’m so funny, or because I’m such a dramatic guy. I rarely reject a compliment, but whenever I accept that one, I try to correct the donor’s misconception. To me, it’s like saying I must be great at tennis,…
Sometimes, children with special needs show up in schools, and administrators scramble to find ways to meet these children’s needs. One child speaks only Portugese, or Khmer. Another has severe emotional problems. Another has no home, and her/his behavior and skill level may have consequently suffered. We are a culture rich in diversity, but sometimes…
I remember a day when I went to Cambridge with three other third grade teachers. We had substitutes, and we were in Cambridge to attend a workshop at Harvard, and to shop for materials for our unit on Russia. The workshop was useful, and we found some good materials, but what I remember most is…
Volunteering in a school is one of my favorite ways to spend time. It’s a luxury; I’m sure that there are people who wish they could volunteer, but simply don’t have the time. They have to, can, and often want to do things for which they get paid, and when they’re done, school is out,…
I’m not as ready to label someone a “bad teacher” as I used to be. I never labelled anyone a “bad child,” and I’ve recently expanded that policy to include most teachers. I don’t think I have lowered my standards; I think I’ve decided that teachers, like children, want to do the best they can,…
I used to be chronically nice. If that phrase sounds comical to you, I think it’s because niceness is considered a positive quality, and “chronically” usually precedes something negative – pathological. But throughout my life – even during the time of the popular “me” focus (Is that entirely over yet?) – I’ve found it difficult…
I suggest that we throw out the word “chores.” It’s developed the wrong connotation. I don’t mean throwing out the whole concept; there are kinds of work that have to be done regularly, and it’s only fair to share the work among those who benefit by its being done. Some of those who benefit may…
I remember a time when the teachers’ association in Wellesley could not get a contract we considered reasonable. That’s a pretty common situation, but this time, we felt the injustice more strongly than usual. We voted to have a work-to-rule action. That is, teachers would only do what their contracts required them to do. As…