Check my reflex When I was 2 or 3, we were visiting close family friends and there was a fire across the street, with lots of fire trucks and emergency personnel showing up on the scene. The fire was big and afterwards, every time I heard a siren, I’d start to become anxious and cry. […]
Category Archives: Education
Much of the first month of COVID-19 Lockdown here in Chicago was challenging. However, for myself, there was also a feeling of newness, almost excitement, with schedules and expectations being different. Embracing and making time with old friends was wonderful, learning how to use ZOOM was a novelty, and only setting my alarm clock once […]
Long Term Eligibility When I was 12 or 13, I wanted a softball mitt of my own for my birthday. As a former college baseball player and Little League baseball coach, my dad had raised my sister and I to play catch with footballs, baseballs and softballs–which meant that I ended up with a strong […]
For reals. I thought I would spend this October reflecting and writing about my 8th Breast Cancer Awareness Month since I was diagnosed. I had a couple of posts mocked up to write and thought I would make the time to finish the pieces. When I returned to Chicago Public Schools in late August, I […]
Last year, in June 2018, I was let go from a position I was extremely committed to. I had built many strong relationships with my students and colleagues, and after 3 years, I had been instrumental in stabilizing and moving forward a floundering program at my school. I was very vested in what I was […]
A number of Tamoxifen’s possible side effects: Excessive tiredness Depression or anxiety Weight gain or loss Increased bone or tumor pain Thinning of hair Hot flashes Some symptoms of stress can include: Fatigue Depression Excess eating or smoking Poor memory Increased alcohol consumption Anger/hostility Difficulty making decisions Frequent mood swings Negative thinking Distractibility Feeling overwhelmed […]
On October 14, 1960, after a day of campaigning in the 1960 presidential election, Senator John F. Kennedy arrived at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor to head to bed, not to make a speech. However, close to 10,000 students were waiting for the candidate to speak at the steps of the Michigan Union […]
Harbours: Safe Protected Calm waters even in the roughest weather Gathering of boats and passengers from all over Place to mend sails, fix broken rudders, and clean the hull Trade Restock supplies Hiding place It was probably decided last fall that I would not be returning to my old school for the 2018-19 school […]
I need to celebrate a pretty monumental career achievement. It’s not as if I finished my Masters Essay (which I did 7 or 8 years ago) or a book (which I want to accomplish someday). It’s not that I simply finished teaching a school year (I’ve done that a few too many times for it […]
My ancestors were not Red Diaper Babies during the McCarthy Era or protesters involved in the Haymarket Riots of 1886 here in Chicago. I don’t come from a long line of social activists involved in protest movements or general acts of civil disobedience. I remember there being talk of a great-grandfather who was a union member while […]