The day I was old enough to know about my grandmother’s death, I believe I was about ten years old. I had just turned ten in September, and it was now October. I remember waking up to hear my mama crying in the bathroom. Naturally being curious, I asked what was wrong, and she told me that Mammaw, my grandmother, … Read More
Life Lesson
When I was young, I learned that everything happens for a reason. I was seven when my mom died from cancer; that bit of information might lead you to be puzzled as to how her dying taught me this great life lesson but I promise – it’s not as morbid as it sounds. A few months after my mom was … Read More
It's A Slow Fade
I think that people learn best when they go through personal situations. When I was 12, my dad got very sick, and doctors could not figure out what was wrong with him. As a family, for weeks they told us all they could do was keep him comfortable, until they figured out what was going on. Being 12, I was … Read More
Karate and the Big Chicken
At the age of eight, my son Josh took a karate class at the neighborhood community center with kids and adults of all levels. I would watch the tail end of the class when I picked him up, thinking, “I could do that.” One day, the instructor sat down beside me and asked me when I was going to join … Read More
Honoring The Kiss
When I entered 1st grade in 1939, Mrs. Dickerson, a kind, soft spoken, gentle woman was our teacher. One day, she assigned some quiet seat work to the class and then invited my friend Donnie and me to sit by her and read with her. Neither of us knew that she was giving us some individualized attention because we were … Read More
Be Careful what you say — Words crush or grow one's learning
Growing up in Arlington Heights, Illinois (outside of Chicago), I struggled with learning. Being made fun of by classmates and teachers as well was an everyday occurrence. It was clear to my parents that I was not a dumb child but no one could seem to get me to learn in the manner or the way that the “Normal Kids” … Read More
Losing My Sense of Entitlement
I spent eleven years (1974-1985) living and working at a place called Pendle Hill, near Philadelphia, where I served as Dean of Studies. Pendle Hill is a Quaker living-learning community—founded in 1930 and going strong to this day—where some 80 people share a daily round of classes, communal meals, physical work, silent worship, communal decision-making, outreach to the larger world, … Read More
Rural Learning – School Bus Rides
Growing up in the most rural section of Rhode Island during the 1960’s provided learning experiences that were powerful in ways that are still being revealed to me today. Our town, in those days, did not have a high school, so students were transported to neighboring towns on a tuition basis. For my brother and me, that meant an hour … Read More
First Grade
My first school experience. Color the apple red. Important. Neat. Concrete. Reading Group Watch friends like a hawk. Make sure to open to the same page. Heart pounding concentration. Listen-watch-listen-watch. Carefully now, See Dick run. Run, run Dick. See Jane run. Run, run Jane. “No Dear, we are here at the bottom of the page.” I stare hard at the … Read More
I, the teacher
I learn so much from my students. I teach ESOL — English for Speakers of Other Languages — and from my students I learn about the world. Although I’m teaching kids in public school right now, I previously taught adults. One of my most powerful learning experiences happened with my adult class at New Neighbors Education Center in Alexandria. Over … Read More
