There is an old Native American proverb which reads: “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” Chief Seattle stated long ago: “The Earth does not belong to us. We belong to the Earth.” The poet Khalil Gibran writes: “And forget not that the earth delights to feel… Continue reading Thank you Earth for the Lessons You Teach Us Every Day, Not Just on Earth Day
Dear Mr. Nelson, The day you called for an interview at Lin-Wood Public School was May 3, 2003, the very day we lost our Old Man on the Mountain. The phone rang, and I didn’t hear it right away because I was celebrating my graduation from a Masters in Education program. The music was loud,… Continue reading Dear Mr. Nelson: Thank You for 44 Years in Education
There is so much for me to love about this photo: the Tuckerman Ravine sign behind us, my dad being fit enough to hike up to the Ravine, my then almost two year old niece Ella fiercely gripping 9 week old Carver’s fat little fist, my brother and sister- in- law who trekked in taking… Continue reading March Madness: Tuckerman’s Ravine
When I was a freshman at Connecticut College in the early 1990s, my beloved hometown of Merrimack, NH elected a Christian Coalition majority to our school board. The margin was something like 6 votes in a town of roughly 26,000 at the time. Please don’t fact check me, but it was very close. I did… Continue reading Why I Vote and Participate in Annual School District Meetings as a Teacher and a Mom
As a 23 year old teacher long ago, in a school district far from here, accused by a local minister of “raping” a young man of his innocence, we imagine the worst. We imagine a teacher who has sent inappropriate photos or messages to a student she is responsible for professionally. What we don’t imagine… Continue reading The Time a Parent Accused Me, a Teacher, of “Raping” with Reading
I met a dear college friend for breakfast the other day in the city. While parallel parking on a wide street with plenty of room to go around, an angry woman gave me the finger. Try as I might, I can’t figure out why she felt I deserved the finger. There were other spaces–… Continue reading Dear Abby: I Need Your Advice
Morgan Clark’s voice compels people to listen; within her lyrics and talent live the excitement, hope, and idealism of young musicians following their hearts to Nashville, country music’s capital of the world. When I hear Morgan sing–whether an original song written for a friend who died sadly too soon or a cover title, I want to cheer… Continue reading From Northern New Hampshire to Nashville: Miss Morgan Clark Has Found Her Voice
Part of the magic of a delayed opening is letting one’s children play outside in the snow for two hours before school. That is if your children are still young enough to realize that a delayed school opening means a longer night of sleeping. Sure, the teachers probably cursed me for their soaking wet snow… Continue reading Wanted: Confidence for a Ninth Grader …or Maybe for All of Them
The one on the far left is the one who almost peed her pants while sliding down Cruiser at warp speed. I almost peed my pants sliding down Loon Mountain on Sunday when I should have been skinning up with two friends. No injuries were sustained, fortunately, and a very nice older man and lady… Continue reading Sliding Away in the Steeps
For most local children, the Kanc, a classic, magical rope tow, is where they learn to ski, learn to love to ski, and then, maybe, depending on the kid, learn to race, therein developing an incredible race program from the bottom up. Kanc Carvers is one of those experiences kids remember forever, first as little… Continue reading Circle of Life for Lin-Wood Kids at the Kanc (Title Credit to JJ Bujeaud)
Heather Ehrman Krill: The "Write" Kind of Coach 