Perspective....We All Need Perspective
Today, as I was outside raking the 6-10 inches of leaves, I had a thought...It was only a few days ago that I was driving down the street and enjoying the beauty of the colorful leaves. When it became the time to clean up the piles in my back yard, I wasn't exactly enjoying the beauty of the leaves. I was wishing I didn't have trees, and grumbling under my breath. Same leaves, but now ugly and unwanted.Then I started to think back to last week at school. Working with a student who is struggling and can't see the vast future that is ahead. So many choices that now look like dead ends. I wonder what happens to some parents. Everyone is happy to have children, right? It seems like

Teachers That Influence -- Who Do Kids Listen To?
I have been thinking about this for a while and decided to ask my high school chorus for their thoughts. I phrased it this way, "Two teachers can give exactly the same directions. One is listened to and one is ignored. What are the qualities of the teacher that kids listen to?"One response sums up the opinion of many: "Respected and respectful, they easily relate things to the life of the student, allow the students to express their own opinions and views, is laid back yet strict when they need to be, and is fun to be in class with."Here are some other responses:"They're likeable they got a rep with other students. The teachers are involved so students aren't n

Doreen Cronin Likes My Status
During the last college class for future teachers, I asked how many people were Facebook members. One person near the front made a face...a judgmental face. I asked, "Is there something wrong with Facebook." The face-maker nodded with pursed lips. I explained to the students assembled, that I have some author friends on Facebook. From now on, I intend on saying, "Doreen Cronin likes my status." Yes, THAT Doreen Cronin. Author of amazing cihldren's books like "Diary of a Worm" (which, by the way, makes me laugh EVERY time), "Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type", and many others.You probably already know that I am extremely fortunate to call Peter H. Reynolds a friend (and I work pa

September 11
A lot of buzz online today is about remember eight years ago. Two things come blazing back into my mind. First, a student, Brett, came into my office and said we probably shouldn't have chorus because the country was under attack. I laughed, as the trying to get out of chorus is an age-old joke, and then turned on the TV. Soon after, one of the most annoying students said, "Bet it was Osama Bin Laden". WAY before anyone on TV had made that guess.The other thing I remember was going to my wife's school Homecoming game which came at the end of that fateful week. There was much talk around the state as to whether there would even be football games on Friday. . . But, it was Homecom

President Obama's Speech
"But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life - what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home - that's no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That's no excuse for not trying. Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up. No one's written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future. That's what young people like you are doing ever