Category: Education

How did I end up at Harvard?

September 16, 2023

I guess the point is that, even now, a million years later, books are my Orient Express, my journey into the Sultan’s Palace, my feet slipped into the upturned toes of a genie’s slippers, and my three wishes involve more books, the kind that feel like catching magic by the tail and making it into a kite, the kind that change minds and nourish souls, and of course, living, passionately, wildly, softly, and always always always, living “by heart.”

Glitter Cyclone Healing

July 29, 2023

Everyone copes with the sorrows of the world in different ways– for me, I choose to play in what I call “a glitter cyclone,” aka my Magic Treehouse camp.

Can Dancing Actually Change the Brain? YES!

November 4, 2022

Can dancing actually change the brain? Make you smarter? Heal broken hearts and act as therapy for cancer patients? The research says YES!

Ode to Joy: The Cello

October 2, 2022

Today, without knowing why, I found myself driving to the cello store, then hiking around my backyard forest with it in my arms. I sat down on an ancient rock and moved the bow across the strings until it finally started to fill the air with its sumptuous sensual tones. I wanted to play it by the fire and by the waterfall. I wanted to play for my pink flowers, dripping ferns, and fairy rocks. This time the cello didn’t make me weep, it made me laugh in delight and skip back down the hill.

Teaching Writing with Secret Writing Weapons

September 1, 2022

If music be the food of love, play on! I agree with Shakespeare–music is the food of love, but for me, music is also the food of creativity, originality, and storytelling. But let me start at the beginning. Last Saturday, I asked my writing students

The Effects of Color on the Classroom

July 6, 2022

Everyone seems to love neutral colors: gray, beige, off-white… but for me, neutral colors turn me into Eeyore. I feel sleepy and sad. My color tastes are more aligned with Tigger, and when I say Tigger, I mean Tigger sent bouncing into a room with a gallon of pink paint in one paw and a gallon of glitter in the other.
But is there a happy medium? What works best for kids? What enhances their learning, enriches their brain, and soothes their soul?

The Thrilling Research on Neuroarchitecture that can Transform the Learning Experience

April 13, 2022

Imagine showing up to teach your class, or dropping your child off at a school that is so beautiful, it immediately inspires you, just by walking down the hall. While teaching my class on teaching strategies at Endicott College, I learned about an exciting new way of approaching classroom design: Neuroarchitecture, the study of architecture and design on our brains. Thoughtful design can completely transform learning environments for students, truly creating “Environment as Third Teacher.”

A Book That Changed My Life

December 7, 2021

One of my favorite dinner party questions is, “Name three books that changed your life.” I love to hear people really think about this question and answer as I usually learn a lot about them. If someone were ever to ask me this question, the first book I would name is Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky.

Creating a Ritual for Girls Becoming Women

March 2, 2021

It’s a magnificent time when our girls start to blossom into women, but it can also be a jarring time, as their hormones begin to swirl and their bodies start to change. Creating a ritual to honor their journey, set intentions for their path, and

Diva Creative Writing Workshop 2021

January 4, 2021

My Creative Writing Class is like no other! Sparkling repartee! Writing Prompts created to lead us deep into our soul! Tranformative and Hilarious Reading Assignments! Martini Zoom Time with Writing Tips! And finally a TRANSFORMATION story we can call our own! And at the end