One day, I was sitting at the playground near where I live. In good weather, when school is out, I spend a lot of time at that playground. Most of the children who play there know me by now, and … Continue reading
Joe Oliverio
If I were playing an instant-word-association game, and I heard the word “laughter,” I might say, “joy,” or “fun.” I usually think of laughter as a good thing. I like laughing, and I like getting other people to laugh. I’ve … Continue reading
There’s neither any danger nor any hope that we’ll become our parents, nor that our children will become us. Our parents are already them (or were), we’re already us, and our children are themselves. On one level, I’m sure everyone … Continue reading
Working with fourth graders, I get to see the interesting ways children deal with feelings that are new to them. Some of them are starting to feel attracted to other children in ways they’re not used to, and seeing that … Continue reading
Selena is one of the children I work with. Very often, she seems to be in her own world, sometimes concentrating on a useless task she’s given herself (e.g., scraping the yellow paint off a pencil), but more often, reading … Continue reading
When someone asks me, “Should I be a teacher?”, my first impulse is to say yes. I’m a teacher, and teaching is one of the most reliable joys in my life. How can I, in good conscience, advise someone not … Continue reading
We aren’t supposed to teach people younger than us to be us. Not that we could, anyway, but it would be good to be aware both that we can’t and that we shouldn’t try to. We can let them know … Continue reading
As we teach our children, we try to get them ready for the part of the world they’re probably going to end up living in. We tend not to teach children a lot about farming unless we think they’re likely … Continue reading
A duo called “Poetry Alive” came to the Fort River School to do a performance and subsequent workshops with several classes. They recited and dramatized poetry by Langston Hughes, Emily Dickinson, and several more. They captured the attention and imaginations … Continue reading