From my Facebook memories: Aaaaaand another assessment tool that requires written student work as “evidence.” *sigh* I was an elementary band teacher, and while some knowledge of how notation works can be assessed using traditional paper-pencil tests, “before and after” student work is what we hear. My job was to teach them to play, to … Read more
Changing Hands Bookstore had a virtual writing event recently where we were guided through a variety of chance operations activities. These activities leave the writing process to chance. (They’re useful for any creative composing, not just writing. John Cage used some in composing music, for example.) Leaving things to chance requires the writer to put … Read more
Today’s writing offers you a nudge to put yourself out there a bit if you have some ideas or some work and you’re afraid to share it. You never know what people will like. Some of the things I have worked the hardest on have received no response. Some of the things I’ve dashed off … Read more
As a person estranged from my family of origin, I’ve been told many times that I am obligated to be in contact or spend holidays or whatever because they’re family and there are things that you overlook or put up with because they’re family. (I wonder how the family sounds in your head compared to … Read more
A note I made from an email I received maybe a year ago: “To be mean seems exhausting.” Jedidiah Jenkins (I just went and looked him up, because I didn’t know who he was/who I was quoting, and he seems pretty neat. His TEDx talk was interesting to listen to.) “Mean” is rooted in fear, … Read more
Because very little if anything in life is completely binary, I felt myself needing to qualify many of these thoughts as I wrote. Instead, I’m just going to say here at the beginning that yes, there are exceptions to these generalizations, and since they’re exceptions, their incidence is low. If you’re feeling like you’re the … Read more
For my final blog post of 2021—the year in review. It was a wild year, deeply creative, with a lot of output. This time last year, I’d just finished writing a book (first round writing, not editing and such), quit my job due to COVID concerns, and was going to see what I could do … Read more
Rocket Kid was in a musical earlier this week as part of an extra-curricular semester-long theatre class he took through Childsplay. The performance included his class as well as all of the others in their “conservatory,” a total of seven performances. One of the things I love about Childsplay is that the students and teachers … Read more
I was reminded of an anecdote from college. I was walking across campus late one afternoon, getting dark, and it was snowing. Snow was sticking but hadn’t accumulated much yet, maybe half an inch, if that. My walk to the music building took me past a very small parking lot where there was a woman … Read more
Last weekend, Climbing Daddy and I went for a run in the neighborhood. No Rocket Kid plus nicer late-fall weather meant it was almost 9:00 by the time we got out the door. Our planned route was blocked off by police tape and cars, and we could see a car had crashed into something where … Read more