As we approach the last week of September 2023, I can reflect on the return to school for the girls and me, declaring that survival mode exhausts the entire family. Yes, we’re in survival mode, and it’s a lot like hanging on to a rope suspended above a dark, bottomless…
Tag: teaching
I am honored to be joining the faculty at Texas A&M University for the 2023-24 academic year as a full-time lecturer. The COVID-19 pandemic had, in theory, marked the end of my teaching career. However, friends and colleagues persisted in sending me academic job listings. One friend, in particular, persuaded…
The public school experiment for 2022-23 ran its course by January 26, 2023, when we gave the fifth grader a mental health day at home. She won’t be returning this school year. During the last three weeks, we became aware of problems we didn’t know existed at the school, learned…
Podcast 0095; Season 6, Episode 5; 29 November 2022 Michaell Magrutsche Michaell Magrutsche is truly a multimedia artist: a painter, photographer, music composer, digital artist, and author. A former Newport Beach, California, arts commissioner, Michaell promotes the value of public art. He is also the author of five books and…
If I were not home, our children would still require supplemental supports. Those are expensive and not fully covered by insurance. At home, I am the provider of physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, reading supports, behavioral intervention, and much more. Mothers (and fathers) knew this before the pandemic. Special…
Leigh has totally rocked her return to campus and even added her first major activity outside school: playing in a rock band. Her first show will even be in a local bar known for live music. Living in Austin, the home of “Austin City Limits” and SXSW, performing in a…
The back-to-school experiment lasted four days for the little one. By Thursday of the first week, it was clear that this wasn’t a good experience for her. I’m still in the processing stage. I’m the one who advocated for her return to school. I wanted to believe she would have…
Podcast Episode 0081, Season 5, Episode 12; 31 January 2022 Parenting on Pandemic Time The end of 2021 proved difficult, and 2022 isn’t off to a good start. Parental responsibilities once again derailed blogging and podcasting efforts. Pandemic parenting compounds the challenges of supporting our daughters. Despite our exhaustion, we have to keep the girls on…
Podcast Episode 0075, Season 5, Episode 6; 2 November 2021 Literacy Problem Solver From the Press Kit: Lois Letchford’s dyslexia came to light at the age of 39, when she faced teaching her seven-year-old non-reading son, Nicholas. Examining her reading failure caused her to adapt and change lessons for her…
Podcast Episode 0073, Season 5, Episode 4; 19 October 2021 How do Neurodiverse kiddos feel about homeschooling and virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic? For this episode, my daughters Leigh and Anne discuss what it has been like to study at home. They like it, but they also miss being…