Dedicated to my Aunt Sharon. Evolve. Grow. Nurture. Writing that lives within us and sprouts words on the page do all of those things. It fails to linger long, especially as we - as writers and people - change. I believe the same applies for any artist. Art is like my five-year-old son. It won't… Continue reading Ways we Write: The Charles Project
Author: Corrie's Mom
They say teacher turn over is high right now, and many teachers will leave the profession in five years or less. I will enter my seventh year as a full-time teacher, and my 12th year in education after I'd started as a sub and teacher assistant. I was the student in the 1990s you did not want in your classroom because I was diagnosed with ADHD and did not know how to socialize with other kids. I was due to be tested for autism, but this was considered an ostracizing experience for a child then, especially a girl. I am a third generation teacher and author of seventeen creative works.
I Might Have Given Up If …
Fireworks and sparklers will burst in the 4th of July sky tomorrow night. The holiday celebrates what many Americans value, resilience. When you read my recent posts, a word keeps popping up: advocacy. Granted, my professors and books have beaten the word into my head for educational purposes. But, it is significant in building up… Continue reading I Might Have Given Up If …
It’s Time: Take Down the Flag
Successful teachers want to engage students. The term I've learned is "foster their learning environment" so students can become active in society. We encourage them to become advocates of the world. But, what about us? Teachers advocate for students, and there are some things professional teachers must decide to keep their opinions to themselves, so… Continue reading It’s Time: Take Down the Flag
Talks about Breastfeeding: Two Things
Imagine walking through on a city sidewalk in late autumn. Rain falls. You had thought the weather would feel warmer, but water hardens on the leaves at your feet. Cold covers your toes, and it spreads weakening the speed of your pace. You reach the end of the sidewalk where it meets a street, and… Continue reading Talks about Breastfeeding: Two Things
Ready to Talk: The Infection, Part 2
The Infection, Part 2 Memoir Shorts When MRSA first streamed through our blood and into our skin in summer 2011, I worked two days a week at a cafe. Fears mounted like a stack of pennies that people save and believed one day will amount to something. One month, Ben's job covered the rent and… Continue reading Ready to Talk: The Infection, Part 2
To the Mother who Told my Husband How to Parent
To the Mother who Told my Husband How to Parent: Deep breath before I type. I don’t know if you raised your voice, spoke with emotion in a calm voice, or just used a tone that up-and-slapped my husband in the face. I know he didn’t like the way you dramatically lectured him about… Continue reading To the Mother who Told my Husband How to Parent
Easter Letter to My Daughter
Dear Corrie, Two women talk at the park about the latest in little girls' names: Lily. Two weeks later, a woman says to me, "Cora is not a name you hear much anymore. What a beautiful name!" Or, my favorite, "Did you name her after the girl on Downton Abbey?" Your name has an entire… Continue reading Easter Letter to My Daughter
Too Many Projects and Not Enough Time?
Write more. I really want to. The problem: time. Edit more stories. I definitely want to. The problem: time. Send out more stories. I really want to. The problem: time. I use to quote a mentor who said, "If you really love writing, you will make time for it." I have not stopped writing. In… Continue reading Too Many Projects and Not Enough Time?
Elliot McSwean Story Published
Ten-year-old Elliot McSwean trips again! Alfie Dog, a publishing company that publishes children's stories and books, has published my third Adventures of Elliot McSwean story. Alfie Dog published Adventures of Elliot McSwean: The Watchman January 28, 2015. This is the fourth time an Elliot McSwean story has been published. Adventures of Elliot McSwean: The Question was published in Black Fox Literary Magazine's 2013… Continue reading Elliot McSwean Story Published
Ready to Talk: The Infection
Part 1 Memoir Shorts There is a reason "in sickness and in health" exists in marriage vows. My husband, Ben, and I joked about the fact we got "the sickness" part down. It crept into our apartment. The thing sneaked into our blood and on our bodies like a fantasy movie during which the audience watched… Continue reading Ready to Talk: The Infection
Corrie's Season 