Have you ever wondered what your ideal world might look like? At a recent trip to the Detroit Institute of Arts I had a chance to glimpse into a few medieval artists’ fantasies, as they portrayed the Land of Cockaigne. According to Merriam-Webster, “The term “Cockaigne” comes from the Middle French phrase pais de cocaigne, … Continue reading
Sometimes when I walk through a bookstore, a book just calls out to me. It isn’t what I was looking for. More often than not, it isn’t something I need. But it calls, none-the-less. That is what happened with Kwame Alexander’s Animal Ark. Theoretically, Animal Ark is a children’s book. It certainly is appealing to … Continue reading
Recently, thanks to a kind friend’s invitation, I had the chance to sing in “The Big Sing,” a one-weekend-a-year chorus of over 100 singers, gathered to sing songs associated with social justice. The Sing was glorious fun, and I was reminded yet again of the power of music to express ideas more powerfully than words … Continue reading
I readily admit I’m not a big hip hop fan—probably because I’m of the generation that watched in awe as the Beatles sang on our black and white TVs. Yes, older than dirt. And yet I can’t get enough of the score of Hamilton. The lyrics are brilliant, the beat enticing, and the characters of … Continue reading
These are stressful times. At least around me, teachers report students levels of anxiety and conflict that seem to mirror those of adults they see on the news. Perhaps that is happening in your area as well. So, what do we do? One thought I had this week was that when things around me feel … Continue reading
I’ve found the last week pretty hard. In this climate of anger and fear, it is hard to imagine when things will feel calm and safe again. I wish I knew. I do know that I feel surprisingly happy to think that there is a holiday all about love just a few weeks away. I’ve … Continue reading
It is December again. WordPress has turned on the lovely blog snow. Even in this warmest of years, Michigan temperatures are falling, we’ve seen some snowflakes, and my end-of-semester crunch is beginning. And I realized with amazement that next month this little blog will be five years old. This seemed a good time to reprise … Continue reading
Students spend a LOT of time in school answering questions. Yet one of the most important ways we can help them develop creative (and critical) thinking is to help them ask questions–not just questions about their textbook content, but real questions about the world around them. And then, of course, they need the tools to … Continue reading
This week I saw two very different musicals. Well, to be honest, I saw all of one and parts of another. I was one of millions who have had the opportunity to see the PBS documentary on Hamilton, the Broadway smash musical that combines hip hop and history to tell the story of Alexander Hamilton, … Continue reading
I love stories. I love hearing good stories and I love telling stories. I can still remember my unbounded delight when my elementary classmates enjoyed hearing installments of my magical sagas. And these days I love the moments I steal from work to write stories of fantastic islands for my favorite young people. Stories take … Continue reading
