Thinking and Seeing for Better Being
Curiosity as the Spark: How Real-World Encounters Transform LearningThere was a moment early in my teaching career when I found myself standing on a chair, passionately preaching to my students about taking ownership of their education. “Don’t be like a dog trained to sit, stay, and shake for a treat,” I told them. “Your education... Continue Reading →
Describe your most ideal day from beginning to end. A Life-Giving Rhythm of Making, Sharing, and Learning There’s a fine line between comfort and complacency. The aggressive pursuit of ease is, I’ve found, a fast track to old age. So an ideal day—one that leaves me feeling alive rather than merely sustained—begins with movement. A... Continue Reading →
Daily writing promptSomething on your "to-do list" that never gets done.View all responses My Bins Will Outlive Me – A Legacy of Stuff No One Asked For I am not a hoarder. I just have…bins. Bins full of things I once deemed important enough to keep but not important enough to actually deal with. Papers,... Continue Reading →
What Do I Have to Do to Get an A? Grading art is absurd. How do you put a letter on creativity? How do you tell a student their work is a B+ when, in reality, it’s either an A for effort or a silent scream for help? And yet, grades must be given, rubrics... Continue Reading →
What’s your favorite thing to cook? What Do You Like to Cook?I like to cook. Or at least, I like the process of cooking. The chopping, cutting, mashing, sautéing—the tactile, physical act of transforming raw ingredients into something that looks like it belongs in a cookbook. But here’s the truth: my cooking is not great.I... Continue Reading →
Why High Schoolers Are Like Kindergarteners (But with Cell Phones)After 35-plus years of teaching art in public schools, I’ve come to a conclusion: teenagers are just kindergarteners in bigger bodies—with cell phones. And, oh yeah, they can drive away if they want to. Sure, they’ve traded crayons for iPhones, and their tantrums are now fueled... Continue Reading →
Daily writing promptWhat’s the thing you’re most scared to do? What would it take to get you to do it?View all responses The Thing I’m Most Scared to Do (Or, Why I’m Writing About Everything Else Instead) Today's WordPress prompt asks: What’s the thing you’re most scared to do? Great. Just what I wanted—to sit... Continue Reading →
Daily writing promptWhat do you complain about the most?View all responses Who put that body wash crayon in with my student's Barbara Hepworth Sculptures? I don’t like to think of myself as someone who complains. Complaining, after all, seems to attract more of whatever you’re complaining about. Making excuses, blaming others—these are toxic habits to... Continue Reading →
Daily writing promptWhat are your favorite sports to watch and play?View all responses Growing up, sports weren’t just about the game itself; they were about the people, the food, the laughter, and the hum of conversation that filled our home. My mother—an Irish Catholic woman with a gift for hospitality—made Sundays special. Win or lose,... Continue Reading →
Daily writing promptWhat books do you want to read?View all responses What Books Do I Want to Read? If I’m being honest, the answer is all of them. Every book, every story, every word that has the potential to shape me, challenge me, and transform me into a better version of myself calls out to... Continue Reading →
Forming 2.0 