A peaceful, morning-lit workspace, inviting reflection and prep—perfect for grounding yourself before the classroom day begins.
What I Wish I Knew Then: Back-to-School Wisdom from a Retired Teacher Read More »
“A river does not resist. It flows. It yields to what is, and in doing so, carves canyons.” As August ripens, there’s a subtle change in the air—slightly shorter days, the occasional golden leaf, a hush between summer’s brightness and fall’s urgency. For years, this was the time I’d start to turn inward again, anticipating
The Wisdom of the River: Listening Before the Year Begins Read More »
My wife, Kelli, and nephew, Gavin, and I drove to Florida the other day. We drove the 17 hours switching off and on, the kind of trip that stretches your patience as much as your mileage. The open road always has a way of slowing you down, even when traffic isn’t. There were stretches of
Sacred Space on the Highway: What the Road Taught Me About Teaching and Letting Go Read More »
areI. A Slow Exhale Before the Rush It starts quietly—an aisle at Target filled with bins of crayons and colorful planners. A newsletter in the inbox. A few friends texting about bulletin board ideas. And suddenly, summer begins to tighten into structure. I remember that shift so well. Even in retirement, I still feel
Reconnecting to Your Why: Preparing the Heart, Not Just the Classroom Read More »
A recent experience got me thinking about aging. The other morning I went in for a tooth extraction. This is the second one I’ve had. The first went extremely well and healed up very nicely. Still, as I drove in, I noticed I was anxious and worried about the experience. As I prayed for calmness,
Aging Gracefully: What It Really Means to Expand Instead of Shrink Read More »
“We do not learn from experience… we learn from reflecting on experience.”— John Dewey As we grow older, we begin to realize that reflection isn’t just a luxury — it’s a necessity. It’s how we make sense of life’s many chapters. But more than that, it’s how we come to see ourselves with new
Looking Back to See Ourselves Anew: How Reflection Reframes Identity Read More »
Exploring the link between breakfast, brain function, and what we overlook in plain sight. Introduction After getting home from the NEA RA in Portland and our relaxing three days in Seaside and Cannon Beach on the coast, we found NO food in the house! Of course, it took us days to deplete the
Sweetened and Stalled: How Sugar Shapes Our Children’s Minds Read More »
I’m basically an introvert, and I draw my strength and energy from times of reflection. So, when life gets really busy, I sometimes start to feel depleted. Today was kind of a day like that. First, Kelli, my wife, and I drove 40 minutes to my stepson’s house, where we spent time catching up with
The Value of Pause: Learning to Listen More Deeply to the Inner Voice Read More »
Introduction: More Than a Job When I first stepped into a classroom over four decades ago, I thought I was simply beginning a job. But as the years unfolded, I more and more realized I had stepped into something far deeper — a calling. Teaching, at its core, is a profound invitation to serve, to
Teaching as Calling: Beyond the Classroom Walls Read More »
There’s something about the ocean that invites us to breathe differently. After the intensity of the NEA RA, Kelli and I spent a few days in Seaside, Oregon — a small, beloved coastal town where the horizon stretches endlessly, and the waves arrive like a whispered prayer. We stood near Haystack Rock, that mighty sentinel
Standing Small Before the Sea: A Spiritual Exhale for Those Who Give of Themselves Read More »
