Every once in a while, an essay by Claire Needell Hollander appears in The New York Times. I make sure to read it. She is smart & witty & wise. And, her writing, which both entertains and enlightens, always inspires me to write down my own thoughts in response to whatever it is she is writing about, in this case: standardized testing in classrooms & the wisdom of reading in bathrooms. Here’s the link to her latest essay titled “Testing My Twins,” in the The New York Times (10/20/12): http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/21/opinion/sunday/testing-my-twins.html?_r=0 And here are the memories, observations and thoughts about bathroom reading and testing she inspired me to jot down: I…
-
-
Joining an Education Resistance
The books I gobbled up when I was a teenager frequently took place during World War II and included characters who were part of the Resistance, groups of individuals who acted at great personal risk to oppose conquering enemies. I remember hoping I’d have their courage in similar circumstances. I feel very lucky I haven’t had to find out. Those stories, however, have given me the courage to move past fear on a few occasions. One New Years Eve I stood on a San Francisco sidewalk and yelled at passersby to draw attention to a man who was attacking a woman in shrubs next to a building. At first I…
