What Does Improving Lives Involve? As a teacher of both adults and teens for the past 16 years, it turns out that some of the most important and impactful lessons I’ve taught have been about LIFE — not just English. For the first time, I’m compiling over 30 of my most useful tips about better… [Read More]
Learning Around the World:
Though I am a classroom teacher, this site is about the learning that takes place beyond a school's walls. We can learn everywhere! Use these articles to explore our world's joys...
40 Art Prompts for Drawing Inspiration from Around the World
Where do Creative Ideas Come From? I’ve been a public school teacher for 15 years (yay, high school and middle school!), and though I’m technically labeled an English or ELA instructor, I also consider myself an art teacher. What makes me an art teacher, you ask? Each and every day, and in any project in… [Read More]
Vermont Wineries: Boyden Valley has Ice Wine Tasting and Cheese!
A Great Attraction in Northern VT Near Stowe… Whether or not you are a wine lover, Boyden Valley Winery & Spirits in Cambridge, Vermont makes a wonderful day trip if you’re in the area. Not only is the setting splendid (rolling mountains and emerald green fields!), but the educational and culinary value of the farm… [Read More]
Latrobe, PA: Tour Mister Rogers’ Actual Neighborhood
See the hometown of Fred Rogers in Pennsylvania! Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was a beautiful part of my childhood, and it’s been a delight to see my own children rapt at Fred’s show. Much was my excitement, then, in realizing that there is an entire historic Fred Rogers Trail that YOU can explore in southwestern Pennsylvania!… [Read More]
The Emerald Necklace Parks of Boston: Take Notice!
The Importance of Boston’s Greenspace: I’ve lived in Boston most of my life, and my #1 favorite thing about this city is the network of parks that stretch across it — a feature poetically named: The Emerald Necklace. This 1,200-acre park system was created by Frederick Law Olmsted in the 1880s and consists of a… [Read More]
An “Influence” Synonym Search at Wild “Happy Place”
“Do you consider yourself an ‘Influencer?’” My former student, Savannah, popped this awkward question as we swung open the doors to “Happy Place,” the surreal pop-up photography playground that zinged into Boston this month. “Um…” I stalled, grappling for an appropriately inspiring answer to explain why I had been invited to tour and photograph the space,… [Read More]
