Filed under Pedagogy

Pitching In

Pitching In

“Dear Jenny, just a thought, but what if you spent some of the time talking to God that you spend writing to me about boys in your class?” Those words, penned by my camp-counselor-turned-pen-pal, set me on a course of talking with God that has spanned my life to this point. As I grew to … Continue reading

Free Time Stories: Sledding

Free Time Stories: Sledding

Originally published on Plumfield Academy’s blog.  ———— We sat around the teacher’s lounge today at lunch and chatted. We call it the teacher’s lounge fondly, because one woman has a horrible memory of accidentally opening the door to the teacher’s lounge when she was young, and being vehemently scolded and forcibly escorted. At Plumfield, the … Continue reading

Free Time Stories: Creative Play

Originally published on Plumfield Academy’s blog January 2015. ————————– It was a full morning for the younger students (who range from age six to nice years old). Math and language arts, when each child worked at their skill level, was followed by half an hour of history when the students heard a whole chapter about … Continue reading

“School-sick”

This was originally published on Plumfield Academy’s blog in January 2014. ———– Plumfield always takes a full two weeks off at Christmas and New Year’s. It’s a lovely practice that allows for families to travel or to snuggle up at home, doing whatever they want to celebrate the holidays, without the pressure of having to … Continue reading

An hour of free time…per day?

This was originally posted on Plumfield Academy’s blog, December 2014. —————— We had a grandmother visit last year, and ask “Why do they let the kids have a full hour for lunch? Isn’t that a waste of time when they could be doing more work? The parents are paying good money for them to be … Continue reading

On Livy, Money & Power

This post was originally published on Plumfield Academy’s blog. —————- This text from Livy was the basis of a recent discussion by 5th & 6th graders at Plumfield:             Now the sons of Ancus, since they had been grown to manhood, had taken it ill that Tarquin had been preferred … Continue reading

Pick Me!

The eager cry of a child’s “Pick me!” has the power to stir anxiety as well as anticipation in the hearts of young and old alike. The scene that unfolded on the green hills at Plumfield a few weeks ago was no exception. The boy wiggled, his little body in constant motion. “Pick me! Pick … Continue reading

Is “Every Generation an Island”?

* This post originally appeared on Plumfield Academy’s blog. * ——————– “AS SUMMER DRAWS TO A CLOSE, we prepare for some obvious changes: shorter days, cooler temperatures, a significant drop in ice cream consumption. But another change takes place as well, something whose consequences most of us don’t ordinarily think about. Grown-ups return to work, where … Continue reading

Plumfield is Amazing; Part 5 (Finale)

Here is my final post on my daughter’s amazing school. (Read part one, part two, part three, and part four). Homeschooling for first grade was a pretty sweet experience (helped by the fact that we were living in a cabin in the woods in New Hampshire) and I would not trade it for anything. I … Continue reading

Plumfield is Amazing, Part 4

After a lovely weekend getaway with old friends at a ladies retreat near Lake Winnapesaukee in New Hampshire (enough material there for a separate post – look for it soon!) I am now ready to continue my treatise on why Plumfield Academy is amazing. This is part four of my five part series (read Part … Continue reading