Kummerspeck (German) Excess weight gained from emotional overeating. Literally, grief bacon. As a brain break a few days ago, I showed my students a list of words from a Mental Floss article about words that exist in languages except English... Continue Reading →
Today in Spanish class, one of the activities asked where one could learn Spanish in our community, and what were some reasons why one would want to study Spanish. One student, who is definitely smart, funny, and mature, answered "well, all... Continue Reading →
As a teacher, many images come to mind when I think of things that may "define" me. You can probably think of them, too. Meetings, emails, grading papers, ink all over my hand, students, brown bag lunches, the copy machine,... Continue Reading →
Easily the most fun I've had this year as a teacher was in looking over this "assignment" I created when I had a sub come in. I asked the students to create "Missing" posters for me, and with a description,... Continue Reading →
I've kept a diary most of my life, the last few year's have been a public one on this blog and others. I don't know if it's the new Pinterest habit that's gotten me thinking so craftily, but I thought... Continue Reading →
Another birthday has come and gone...I entered the last year of my twenties struggling to wake up in a hotel room in a casino. That sounds much more exciting than the reality, which is that I was waking up at... Continue Reading →
If you could uninvent something, what would it be? I have some ideas. Commercials - they make me want to buy things I don't need, eat things I don't need, and sometimes they make me cry (curse you, Hallmark). They also... Continue Reading →
What makes a "friend?" How do we stay in contact with them? We live in an age with "followers" on instagram, twitter, tumblr, Pinterest, and social media that require absolutely no personal knowledge of or physical, live contact with another... Continue Reading →
When you're a child, you spend most of your time drawing attention to yourself. From your parents, siblings, friends. I teach junior high, and the whole thing is one big competition. It's all "look at me and what I did!"... Continue Reading →
So I was trying a new vocabulary exercise today in my 8th grade Latin class. We rolled a die (actually it was a virtual die I pressed on my smartboard) and there was a different activity assigned for each number... Continue Reading →
I like lists. I like lists a lot. I like making them and checking things off on them. I like Top Anything lists, too. And something about the end of the year makes us look back on the last 360... Continue Reading →
You know the scene - it's Christmas time (or "holiday tree time) and you want to show appreciation to your child's teacher. You want it to involve your child, be meaningful, maybe even fun. You want it to be cheap.... Continue Reading →
Sunglasses Always Fit 