Have you seen the Groupon website where it offers certain deals that activate when enough people show interest? Take a look… I’m thinking that today’s deal with the Beacon Hill Athletic Club punchcard (for 20 visits!) might be just the thing to get a bit revved up and in better shape for summer.
I’m not the greatest fan of American Idol, but that underlying possibility is a good one– to find the unexpected gift, to allow the opportunity for that voice to emerge and just move you. This audition, from Britain’s Got Talent, wasn’t done recently, but it’s a favorite.
Some pretty hot and humid weather these past few days… thankfully, a break coming with a cooler front coming in later tonight. It’s hard for it not to affect teachers and students in their still-aired classrooms. The lucky ones with fans, or the super fortunate ones (I met one today!) with air conditioning units. One [...]
Reading through Michael Chabon’s Manhood for Amateurs–a series of nonfiction pieces exploring themes of ‘the pleasures and regrets of a husband, father and son.’ Particularly good closure from the short piece ‘Cosmodemonic.’ We are accustomed to repeating the cliche, and to believing, that “our most precious resource is our children.” But we have plenty of [...]
Feeling pretty lucky to have that back porch these days– with the electric grill primed up for use, the small patio table wiped down (man, all that pollen), and the potted plants–a hanging fuscia basket and a surprisingly healthy honeysuckle plant–rounding out the sense of home extended outdoors. A grilled dinner in the early to [...]
The Boston Leaders for the Future of Education group is holding its second incubator competition, with applications due Monday, June 28 at 5pm via email to bostonleaders4education@gmail.com. A great project won the first round, headed up by a number of BPS middle school and high school teachers. Titled Countdown to High School.. getting middle schoolers [...]
Scene from a classroom this morning as the teacher transitioned students from their writer’s workshop lesson to their class time focused on reading. The routine being for students to start with some independent reading, during which the teacher would conference with individual students. The teacher giving some ‘white noise’ directions like we do—verbalizing the well-practiced [...]
Scene from a high school classroom this morning. The teacher having recently introduced playing some background music during certain parts of class—during the start up activity or tasks where students are directed to do work individually. Some kind of smooth jazz station streamed from the internet. They seemed to like it and were productive (though [...]
Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms, and to mine especially! A nice meal out with S.’s stepmom and S.’s recently graduated brother at a restaurant near Fenway Park. And after dinner, a late evening car ride to drop her stepmom off at the Kenmore Square T stop. A piece of conversation. A contented comment, [...]
Memorial Day Weekend
You know it’s been a pretty good Memorial Day weekend when: The weather’s been perfect, ranging from the mid 60s to mid 70s. Even a welcome short burst of heavy rain Saturday afternoon, causing friend C. and me to duck into stores along Centre St. instead of the planned walk around the Jamaica Pond. Trying [...]