Monthly Archives: April 2016

Three Quotation Challenges

I have been nominated for this quotation challenge, to come up with three quotations.  This is no small potatoes, as the field is filled with excellence.  That means two things to me; quotes that are both brilliant and simple, because … Continue reading

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Reading List

Originally posted on charles french words reading and writing:
I had the good fortune this week of delivering a talk at the Muhlenberg College Board of Associates Meeting on the topic of Great Books.  I spoke with the audience for…

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Kindness Doesn’t Have to Cost (re-posting)

This is so beautifully simple and powerful, and the core of what I teach young children. The first point is a smile. I know firsthand the power of a smile. It happened twenty years ago in my classroom and changed … Continue reading

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Teaching the Importance of Giving

My head is always spinning with excitement when I encounter or learn something new.  The pattern is predictable; ‘soak up what I see and hear’, and then ‘how can I teach this to children?’.  I am constantly on a quest … Continue reading

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Teaching History With Picture Books

As I read one of the classic children’s books, The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton, it turned out to be an unexpected history lesson.  This wonderful book begins with a charming little house on a hill, living through days … Continue reading

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Behold the Art Show

Children were sitting together as I carefully picked up each ‘masterpiece’, mounted and framed, and labeled with a title.  They knew this was IT, seeing the results of their love and labor.  I held up each piece, one at a … Continue reading

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