I have always been a reluctant poetry teacher. April comes around and it’s National Poetry Month and I would slouch towards teaching enough poetry to keep my administrator off my back. I reluctantly put a poem in my pocket and I go through the motions like a good teacher should, but poetry is not my … Continue reading
Posted in March 2012 …
An Open Letter to the Teachers of Trayvon Martin
When I first learned of the tragedy that happened on February 26, in Sanford, Florida, when Trayvon Martin was killed by George Zimmerman and the catalog of unfathomable events that have unraveled since then, I was shocked, hurt, and felt an ache in my chest cavity as a mother. Even though my son is a … Continue reading
Mightier than the Sword
How could a writing teacher not buy this poster? Writing is power.
When You Care Enough
When I was a little girl, I had a card business called Lori Cards (I know, unique.). I made my own cards for every occasion full of corny poems and drawings that I spent hours on. I wish I had some relics of that small entrepreneurial moment of my life, but it’s just a memory. … Continue reading
Kill Your Television
I had to read this book No Impact Man: The Adventures of a Guilty Liberal Who Attempts to Save the Planet, and the Discoveries He Makes About Himself and Our Way of Life in the Process by Colin Beavan because we are planning on using it for our first semester freshman course City Seminar entitled … Continue reading
Teaching Trayvon Martin: The Power of Words & Symbols
Tonight I took my 2 1/2 year old son and my 4 1/2 year old daughter to the Million Hoodie Rally/March for Trayvon Martin at Union Square here in New York City. It was their first rally/march and my kids were–let me brag here–awesome. Nico chanted “No peace!” in his darling, somewhat slurred voice and … Continue reading
The Truth
This quote is my mantra for so many things. Although it is a Yeats quote, it found me from the inside cover of Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. I am sure I will blog about that book endlessly, as it is probably one of the best books to teach–ever–but I … Continue reading
Hey girl, (teacher edition)
I love me a good meme. Seriously. Feminist Ryan Gosling was pretty great, but taking that idea and translating it into pro-teacher talk was just plain genius. And Ryan Gosling is a cutie, even if he does look strangely like my stepbrother which freaks me out a little bit. I appreciate that the author of … Continue reading