Comments for An Educator's Journey

Comment on From the Peanut Gallery by tuesday2

tuesday2 — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 01:58:41 +0000

Every time I read one of your posts, I feel like you are talking to me. Sadly, I can relate far too well to your words.

I gave our math benchmark test this week to my kindergarten kiddos; it was multiple choice and not a very good assessment of their true knowledge.

Evidence that true learning can’t be measured with a paper and pencil test.

Good teaching can not be measured by any rubric.

Comment on From the Peanut Gallery by Nancy Daigle

Nancy Daigle — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:47:21 +0000

amy bisson i think…no i know you are a great teacher and your classroom students and staff are lucky to have some one as educated and wonderful as you!

Comment on Sustainable Farming and CSAs by amybisson

amybisson — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:56:26 +0000

That saddened me as well, Frank. Is there anyone in this town seriously drinking the Kool-aid that MB will exist in 2 locations almost diagonally across from each other for more than a couple weeks? I am sorry to see Stony Brook leave.

Comment on Sustainable Farming and CSAs by Frank Winters

Frank Winters — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:38:33 +0000

Stony Brook Acres farm stand (its a shadow of the farm stand it once was) is up for sale. Westford seems to be hell bent on becoming as suburban as possible but without the fancy food outlets the tonier suburbs have. We are going to get another MB and lose two farm stands? Weird.

Comment on New Traditions by Frank Winters

Frank Winters — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:18:50 +0000

Amy — when I saw on FB that you and Adrien went into Boston on New Year’s day in the morning I thought — we should have done that! What a great idea. I don’t like crowds. We went into First Night a few times — once it was about 5 above and we froze — great fun! But 40 degrees and no crowds — sounds good to me. Nice photos too — the ice looks better in morning light I think.

Comment on The Places We Write by poppyandpetunia

poppyandpetunia — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:55:36 +0000

Oh so right…without and organized classroom…I am in big trouble!! This is our second week back and I am looking forward to a calmer, more structured week.

Enjoy!

Comment on About by amybisson

amybisson — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 22:29:21 +0000

Of course I remember you Shirley — and how great it was to grow up in a town like Huron! I’m proud to say that living near Boston for all these years has not made me lose my mid-west accent I still can’t pahk my cah and I’ll never call soda pop a tonic

We need to figure out a way to catch up offline!

Comment on About by Shirley Minton

Shirley Minton — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:51:04 +0000

Amy, after reading that you attended Ohio Street School in Huron, I just knew it was you. How often I have thought about our years as young girls growing up and going to school in Huron. You were my best friend until you moved away in 8th grade. I’m Shirley Minton. I’m so glad I found your blog and was able to catch up on your life. Happy New Year!!

Comment on Faces of poverty and trauma by poppyandpetunia

poppyandpetunia — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:28:44 +0000

Thank you. When I leave my classroom(a preK subsidized program at a local elementary school)this time of year for vacation, I tend to really leave it. Venturing home for a few weeks, I get caught up in the holidays, gifts, food, abundance.

Thank you for reminding me to come back to reality. The reality of my little ones who will be waiting for me in a few days. Although a well earned rest is required in order to give them my best, I need to start up my engine again.

To be mindful of what kind of a holiday some of them have had and other’s might not have.

Have a blessed new year.

Comment on Faces of poverty and trauma by tuesday2

tuesday2 — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 23:37:58 +0000

So grateful to have read your post.

I am not a fan of this ‘wonderful time of the year.’

I’ve been called a Grinch, but honestly, I feel that keeping the holiday hoopla to an extreme minimum in our classroom (a.k.a. no party please) I am able to keep the focus on education and not on “Yeah! What did Santa bring me?”

I can picture your classroom because it sounds very similar to ours.

I wrote a poem, “We Have No Mittens” to describe this ‘wonderful time of the year’ I just can’t bring myself to post it because it is so sad and so real that I fear the emotional outcry.

I enjoy teaching because I know I can make a difference in these young lives, not by teaching reading, writing, and math, (that’s the easy stuff), but by teaching skills for life outside the classroom door.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Thank you for making good use of that extra graham cracker.