Word Dancer: Literature, the Arts, & Education

This week, as we look forward to the 250th birthday of America, I want to reflect on an unlikely Revolutionary heroine, Phillis Wheatley. Her history is remarkable. Born in West Africa in 1753, she was brought on a slave ship, The Phillis, for which she was named. She was sold to the Wheatley family of Boston, who raised and educated her. Phill...

This past week has been a difficult one for me. I have Celiac, and I inadvertently ate something containing wheat. I haven’t made one mistake in 18 years since my diagnosis. But there is always room for mistakes, and I wasn’t being as careful as I usually am. I didn’t realize what one little teaspoon of wheat could do to my system. The pain was about an 8 out of 10, and I was...

Some words feel wonderful in your mouth: benevolent, pashmina, Constantinople. They roll right off one’s tongue and into one’s imagination.  Words hold meaning and are the building blocks of all human thought. I marvel at students’ curiosity about words and how they often understand and use words far above their age and grade level.  One of my students was so e...

This week, Henry celebrated his 46th birthday.  I called him to wish him a happy and healthy day.  Forty-two years ago, I planned his 4th birthday party and made it as happy as I could possibly make it.  He was my student, and I became in charge of his care three months prior when his mother died after being hit by a drunk driver.  That little boy crawled ...