Having a more creative school year is not about beautiful bulletin boards or teachers shouting from the desktops–though those don’t hurt. More importantly, it is about becoming a classroom in which students are encouraged to be their most creative selves, while learning content that matters. It is serious work, but it can be a lot … Continue reading
Can it really be time for back-to-school? In Michigan, the store displays of pens and notebooks seem to appear just as the summer temperatures soar, confusing my sense of season altogether. Still, one of the great benefits of the academic calendar is that it gives us two “New Years” each year, two opportunities to resolve … Continue reading
I’m not lucky enough to be on a lovely beach, but I am taking this week off from blogging and all else work-related. I’ll be back next week, ready to gear up for the new school year ahead.
Ever wish you were an artist? Me, too. Ever want to take part in something big? Who wouldn’t? Here’s the chance to take part in a global street art project that is both enormous and tiny—or perhaps to plan one of your own. The project is called Mysterabbit. Take a look–and watch carefully for the … Continue reading
Years ago, just as my husband and I were about to head for a Maine vacation, he had a scary encounter with a blood clot that kept us homebound. In the midst of that frightening time, a wonderful group of friends arrived at our doorstep with a large box. It was, they declared, a vacation-in-a-box. … Continue reading
This week I was working with a group of teachers when one of them raised a familiar question, “How can I help students be creative when I’m not creative myself?” It’s a dilemma. If we really believe we are not creative, how can we help students go beyond our capacity? It can feel like being … Continue reading
Every summer has some days when it is too rainy, or too hot, to spend all day outside. For days like that, exploring ways to be an inventor can be just the ticket for creative summer fun. 1. Introduce your family to Rube Goldberg inventions. Rube Goldberg’s cartoons of amazing fantasy machines have inspired budding … Continue reading
It is 95 degrees with sweltering humidity, which can mean only one thing in Ann Arbor. It’s Art Fair week! It is time to brave the crowds and the heat, to be rewarded with first-class people watching, over-priced delicious lemonade, and art of every imaginable (and some unimaginable) variety. Last year I had so much … Continue reading
This week’s family fun is a guest post from my friend Kaylynn, all about family activities with clouds . Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green? Do you fish in a stream, or lazily dream on the banks as the clouds go by? Is that what you do? … Continue reading
It is easy to complain about how celebrity culture can be an unhealthy influence on young people. The world is full of “superstars” whose behavior is not what we want our students or our children to emulate—to say nothing of their grammar. But I recently read about a teacher in Brazil who turned bad-celebrity-grammar into … Continue reading
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