Ephemeral Impressions

Dear Peruse and Muse readers: Today my entry will be different as I share some happy news in regards to my writing. I have been accepted at https://channillo.com/ to publish a series of poetry. My series is called Ephemeral Impressions (https://channillo.com/series/ephemeral-impressions/) and will be going live on Wednesday, April 10. If you have enjoyed my …

Advertisement

Book Review: The Gift

The Gift by Richard Paul EvansMy rating: 2.5 of 5 starsI have a complicated relationship with Richard Paul Evans. Some of his Christmas books I found very enjoyable (Like Mistletoe Inn, Lost December, and A Winter Dream), while others I was ambivalent towards (Mistletoe Secret) or downright detested (Grace shudder). This book joins the ranks …

Book Review: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum My rating: 4 of 5 stars I remember having this book read to me as a first-grader and being surprised at how different it was from the movie. Beyond that, I only had a vague recollection of the plot, so I thought it was time I …

Tales from the Fourth Grade: The Best Field Trip EVER

Teachers will tell you that one of the hardest parts of any school year is the planning and execution of field trips. While students are looking forward to a “day off” from the classroom, teachers and administrators are scrambling to get permission forms returned and figuring out driving and chaperone arrangements. Though I didn’t have …

Book Review: Loki: Where Mischief Lies

Loki: Where Mischief Lies by Mackenzi Lee My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars The problem with writing a book about one of the most popular characters in the MCU is that every Loki fan goes into the story with high expectations of how they want their boy to be written. As a fan of the …

Tales from the Fourth Grade: Make a Joyful Noise

While my students were writing out their first book report for the quarter in cursive (my kids will have non-forgeable signatures, thanks very much), I decided to play some music to keep them motivated. Eva was enjoying my classical music and asked if we could listen to songs from Phantom of the Opera. I first …

Happy Climbing: How to Overcome Obstacles

My family is blessed to own property on a beautiful island in northern Lake Michigan. While it is the largest island in Lake Michigan, Beaver Island is not exactly brimming with activities or tourist attractions like Great Britain in the Atlantic, or Australia or Hawaii in the Pacific. It is a place to unwind from …

Tales from the Fourth Grade: Sing, Sing a Song

Something had to be done. The majority of my fourth grade girls had been singing “My Favorite Things,” loudly and off-key for a good minute now. I took a deep breath and approached the throng clustered around a poetry book that contained the lyrics. My students, singers and non-singers alike, eyed me with cautious curiosity. …

Tales from the Fourth Grade: For the Love of Literature

I went into the school year expecting great things from my new set of fourth graders. As all teachers will freely admit to, we spend time during the year regaling our coworkers with stories of our students, and so I already had a favorable impression of my incoming class from tidbits I had acquired. I …

Book Review: Teach Like a PIRATE

Teach Like a Pirate: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator by Dave Burgess My rating: 3 of 5 stars I'm not entirely sure for whom this book is intended. I read it in hopes of improving my technique and building more enthusiasm in certain difficult/jaded students, but the …

Teach Like a Pirate: Building Rapport, Student Engagement, and Creativity

While reading Dave Burgess’s highly popular educational tome Teach Like a Pirate, I discovered several key elements were repeated over and over again. These elements tie directly into the acrostic PIRATE, which stands for Passion, Immersion, Rapport, Ask and Analyze, Transformation, and Enthusiasm. While Burgess contends that a successful teacher will implement all of the …