November 2009
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The Law of the Universe
There are some universal laws that are so simple and easy to understand that they often get lost. These laws have been written down time and time again but they have sometimes been misinterpreted. Universal laws are broken every day and unfortunately, we often don’t see the consequences that go along with breaking them. As […]
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Writing Helps
Writing is probably one of the most amazing tools that we have. I was reminded of this last month. I was at a really low place in my life. I was feeling depressed and miserable. I couldn’t figure a way out of my bad mood. It seemed like I was stuck. But then Thanksgiving came […]
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Scary New Territory
I don’t know why but I find it hard to write short fiction. For me, it seems a lot easier to write a novel than a short story. So I find myself in some scary new territory as I try to take some advice that a published author gave me. Barbara Haworth–Attard did a reading […]
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Teaching Tip Tuesdays – Music Class
Music doesn’t need to be a scary subject to teach. You don’t have to be a musician. You don’t have to be a good singer. You don’t have to have any talent or passion to teach it to your students. This week’s Teaching Tip Tuesday post is for all the reluctant classroom teachers who find […]
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Doors Open
Last month, I was given the key to the city, sort of speak. It was the annual Doors Open event in London, Ontario. I was able to visit 9 different tourist attractions and sites of interest. Here are a few of the highlights. Banting House – National Historic Site of Canada Sir Fredrick Banting woke […]
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No Homework Please
This is the news article that has been the topic of much discussion today. http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Calgary+family+signs+homework+deal/2241272/story.html A family in Calgary has won the right for their children not to be assigned daily homework. I think this is an amazing thing. I actually contemplated not assigning homework myself this year. However, I was told that my board […]
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Meet the Author
Last night I met an author. She came to my neighbourhood library to talk about her writing and to read some excerpts of her work. Her name is Barbara Haworth-Attard. I love how she told us that she had always written but had never even thought that it was something you could do as a […]
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Teaching Tip Tuesday – Song Maps
This is the song map that I created to teach my class the song “Yellow Submarine.” I love using song maps because it teaches that music can be written down and read. This image is read just like you would read any text – from left to right and top to bottom. Here is a […]
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An Extra U, A Weird Q, A Strange S, and a Zed
I love the colour of our currency but sometimes I write a cheque. I like going to the Recreation Centre but we just call it the Rec. I practise my strokes and analyze my technique to get efficient and speedy at the 50-metre freestyle in the olympic-sized pool, which is spelled with a Zed. I […]
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Cale Sampson Interview and Podcast
Last month, I had the chance to interview Toronto emcee Cale Sampson. I transcribed the interview and laced it with some YouTube videos but at the time of the posting, we had some technical difficulties getting the podcast up. Well, I am glad to announce that the podcast is now available for free download. I […]