Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” was a favorite of Larry’s and mine. Listen to it here. Larry and I were both fans and, when Otis died tragically at age 26, we mourned his early death. We weren’t the only ones, as the song’s popularity skyrocketed it to the top of the Billboard charts. I’m certainly not the only one in my family with a gift for storytelling. Larry identified with Redding’s “Dock of the Bay” and I remember him telling me about it. One of his favorite … [Read more...]
Keep on Dancing
Seventy? Really? How did that happen? Sunday, June 4th, is my birthday. I’ll be seventy. Seventy sounds old, so I decided to do an internet search. I read, “Seventy is the beginning of old age.” Oh my! As I thought about this upcoming milestone, I reflected back on my life. I always thought the day I was born was the beginning of old age, the beginning of me until I’m not anymore, one day at a time. In lieu of the alternative, I try to live one day at a time, especially since I got sober. I … [Read more...]
10 Books to Read Out Loud: Read Across America
One of my favorite activities, throughout my life and as an educator, is reading to children. I wrote briefly, last year, about an annual tradition in River Forest, where, as a special occasion, teachers would bring their classrooms to the district and I would read The West Texas Chili Monster by Judy Cox and illustrated by John O’Brian. “The children loved the bright green monster on the front cover. The story’s setting on a ranch in West Texas gave me the opportunity to talk about my … [Read more...]
Technology and Student Mental Health
I’m attending the Suburban School Superintendents “Leading the Way” Conference in Austin, Texas. Yesterday’s speaker was George Couros, author of The Innovator’s Mindset. Some of my favorite quotes and takeaways from George’s remarks are: The leaders for tomorrow are in our classrooms now. Use Facebook and Twitter to be positive. Success is not a straight line. Students from preschool to post college are and will continue to use technology for learning, to communicate with each … [Read more...]
