After teaching elementary and middle-school math for a decade, I became a different kind of teacher, thanks to COVID-19: a homeschool teacher to a kindergartener and a preschooler. ACTIVE/OUTSIDE While I am a big proponent of Montessori-style child-led learning, let’s just say that my kids — like most kids —…

If your kid, like mine, wants to learn about a specific subject, here is what you can do. (One of my kids wants to learn about dinosaurs, so I will use that example.) I do these steps without kids (under age 10): 1. Open internet browser. Search “dinosaur DK”. You…

I hear parents talking to one another and give one another advice. I’m a teacher, and when I know both kids as students, it pains me to overhear the conversation. I think to myself, “That would NEVER work for the other kid! And yes, it TOTALLY works for your kid.” …

Our local schools are closing. Yours have, too, or they will soon. What will you do with this time? First, you may ask yourself about your job, your healthcare, your finances. Do I have sick leave? PTO? Does FMLA cover me? Second, take care of your children emotionally. You tell…

As I write this, Seattle Public Schools has closed for a minimum of 2 weeks due to coronavirus. Other cities may follow suit in the coming days and weeks. Chinese schools have been closed for 6 weeks so far, Japan for 4 weeks. “What am I going to do with…

Kobe Bryant and 13-year-old daughter feared dead. LA mourns Kobe. The world mourns Kobe. His wife and three daughters at home. One can imagine the wailing or the stony silence of their house. Two young ones who will not understand for years. A teenager and her mother clutching one another…