Last spring, I decided I had had enough of the stresses of being a modern day high school administrator and was fortunate enough to trade that role for the stresses of a modern day junior high school English teacher. My days are now filled with working 105 13 and 14 year olds . F or anyone who asks me how I like my new job, I state the truth-I sleep much better now than I used to and am far happier . M y 8 th graders are hardworking, honest and follow as many of the rules as they can remember at

Over the holiday, I had the opportunity hang out with friends, who are also university teachers and researchers. If you’re not an academic, this probably sounds like the worst cocktail party ever. But bear with me. As we were comparing notes, one thing was clear—we were all seeing an increase in the number of international students in our classes. I have always welcomed this influx of talent from other parts of the world, as it lends much needed global perspective to the classroom experience.

I was playing a videogame the other day when I heard my mom yell, “ You computer nerds have been on your screens long enough! Go outside!” Of course I was in the middle of a multiplayer match of Starcraft. “Coming, mom!” I shouted back. Then I went into battle mode, determined to crush the enemy player before time ran out. Unfortunately, my mom is kind of crafty and suspected my intentions. “Ha!” she exclaimed, startling me out of my chair just in time for my opponent to attack and suffer no

We decided in early December to spend the Sunday night before Christmas in Chicago, just to see the lights and do some last-minute shopping . Since they were young , we’ve traveled enough with our now teenage son and pre-teen daughter that they ar e comfortable in airports, big cities and everything in between . And, we’ve spent enough time riding the El in Chicago that our daughter memorized the automated announcements a couple years ago —“The next stop is Clark & Lake. Doors open on the

Besides the fact that dogs are known as man’s best friend, there is much we can learn from our four-legged friends. When I take Zoe outside, she stops right away to listen to and smell our surroundings. Intently, she single-mindedly stares into the yard. After this pause, she then proceeds, reassessing the situation as she walks, with nose to the ground she pulls ahead, lured by the scents of new adventures. This stop followed by a pause is key. It gives us time to reflect and think. It makes

The great compose r, Gustav Holst , brought to life the lyrics of a poet in a Christmas carol melody both sad and sweet. It starts out: In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone; Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow. In the bleak midwinter, long ago. This captures my mood facing the bleakness of an unwavering wintry season . With snow on snow, it will become difficult to reach the barn for twice-daily feeding of hay , and below zero temps

If you’re like me, you run across a lot of stuff you don’t understand. I’ve been reading about quantum physics for years and still don’t get how subatomic particles can be particles and waves at the same time. I try to read economics, too. Yet I don’t understand the economic doctrine that says, if the country goes into recession, I should help by boosting my own spending, even if I go bankrupt. Won’t my bankruptcy make the recession worse, not to mention making me worse? I also don’t get why

If you follow health new s , you have heard about the Mediterranean di et. F ull of vegetables, fruits and fish, it promises health and longevity. Nevertheless, recent studies have challenged this golden health rule. As someone who has l ived in Spain , I too have questions about whether the key to living well into your eighties and nineties is based on diet alone. As Dr. Losada, my art pro fessor in Barcelona, quipped: "Y es, we eat lentils , but then we throw in a fatty c horizo " . What

It was September 1776, just two months after the American colonies had declared their independence from Britain. British naval commander Richard Howe demanded a meeting. Perhaps the Americans wanted to change their minds about their rash decision. A small delegation was chosen to travel to Staten Island to meet Howe on his ship. Among them were John Adams and Benjamin Franklin . Adams was the 40-year old Massachusetts delegate to the Continental Congress and would become the second U.S.

I’m always grateful for those opportunities to start again. Beginning fresh, no mistakes, trying something different, more challenging. Restarting offers us a chance at a perfect moment in the future. A perfect moment – what does it really hold? Everyone getting along? Having a good hair day and being on time? Having that new idea work just right? Cooking a steak to the just-right medium rare? A perfect moment where I’ve strung words together that motivates someone. It’s pure synchronistic magic