I borrowed the phrase in the title from Melissa at Pigtail Pals and Ballcap Buddies, a site to empower girls and redefine girly - they have awesome T-shirts and I'm so getting the girls and i a matching set.  Here are some things in my life that are full of awesome:Our class blog and my students' blogs.  They rock.  We are doing some awesome stuff and I'm finally in a place to recognize it (instead of comparing myself to teachers who are doing more).  We are getting a lot of traffic and that is so motivating for the students.Fiona is becoming... More »

I was inspired to write this post by Hands Free Mama who wrote a post with this name and by Brene Brown's book Daring Greatly.  They seem like opposite ideas but they are not.  Daring greatly is to be vulnerable and connect with people and what better way to do that than to celebrate ordinary achievement.In my experience as a girl, a woman, a student, a mother and a teacher, I have learned the cultural lessons transmitted by our society and our media.  I am not enough. Not skinny enough.Not fit enough.Not smart enough.Not successful enough.Not a good enough mother.Not a good... More »

This week I would like to feature my friend Zoe Branigan-Pipe.  I met Zoe at the TLLP 2012  (Teacher Leadership Learning Program) conference last May.  Then I had the pleasure of participating in Unplug'd 2012 and I got to know her even better.  Zoe's TLLP with the Live Scribe Pen is incredibly inspiring, as is her classroom work.  Zoe was also one of the brains behind Unplug'd which is the best professional and personal development I have experienced ever.Zoe blogs about her class, education and life at Pipedreams.  Please, check her out here as well.  Here is a talk she... More »

I did not plan to write any more about this issue here and then I saw this video by a parent council chair who has done hours of research and analysis.  I am putting this out as a parent, not a teacher.  I know that many parents believe the government over the teachers but here is a parent laying it out.  He says this bill is bad for his kids, and all kids.  Please, if you truly care about education in Ontario, watch the video and check out the website puttingstudentsfirst... More »

I would like to feature incredible, innovative educators on Wednesdays.  I read a lot of teacher and principal blogs, and they rock!  I don't think too many parents read them though (except maybe the parents of the students).  I read these blogs regularly and I follow hundreds of teachers and principals on Twitter, in fact, trading ideas with educators is about the only thing I use Twitter for.I hope that some of you will take a few minutes to read some posts and see what magic is being woven out there in classrooms around Ontario, Canada and the world.I'll start... More »

Today, December 6, is St. Nicholas Day.  St. Nicholas was a wealthy Christian who lived in Asia Minor during the third century.  He was a generous man who gave to the poor.  St. Nicholas is believed to be the origin of Santa Claus.Last night Sophie & Fiona put out there shoes because St. Nicholas comes around the night of December 5th and fills children's shoes with surprises.  John and my step-daughters introduced me to this tradition and I love it.  This year I wanted to make it about giving as well as receiving so I did a little research about... More »

"Every day I wake up on the wrong side of capitalism," Lewenza declares. "And every day I wake up knowing there are more people with me. Enough of us are waking up to fight back." "The evidence is just about bulletproof: When union membership thrives, so does the middle class.  Over the past 18 month, studies by Harvard University, the non-partisan Center for American Progress (CAP), the union-backed Economic Policy Institute (EPI) in Washington, D.C., and the Pew Research Center, also in Washington, have shown an incontrovertible correlation between the rate of unionization and the percentage of the nation's total wealth held... More »

I've lost my muse it seems.It's been more than two months since I have written anything here.  Why?  I'm not sure.  I'm busy, as are all of us.  Very busy.  I think I also have some writer's block and some fear.  Fear of negative comments and judgement, this world is a Judgy place and putting my life on the internet puts me in a very vulnerable position.I'm tired a lot also.  By the time I'm home from work I'm ready for bed and I still have to make dinner, do homework (if we get to it), clean up and get... More »

Help!  Fiona has some very strange anxiety around being sick.  She insists she is not.  She growls, "Don't tough my forehead or my back, I don't have a fever".  Pull out the Advil or Cough Syrup and she starts to cry.  Pull out her puffer and she screams.  WTH!?There have been no traumatic experiences with doctors or hospitals.  When she has gone to the doctor or hospital everything has been pretty low key.  She never wants to go, and is uncooperative when there.  I can't figure it out.  One time I had to hold her down for the doctor (bad... More »

Last week Jen wrote about envying some of her friends' husbands because they had wives who worked at home, being homemakers & parents.  She envies that they don't have to come home to cooking, cleaning, and home managing.  All of which is a LOT of work and to do it on top of a full time job - well we know that's tough (as is straying at home).Some people commented about needing wives or staff to take care of that stuff.  That would be lovely but alas, I can't afford that so I have a plan to keep it clean... More »