teaching teens – priorhouse blog

saffron (and tips for parenting teens)

February 18, 2015

I am getting ready to travel to see my mother down in Florida – so I only have one more post after this one and then I will back to the blogosphere on March 6th. The other day, we had our usual drop offs and pick ups for my teenage son, which of course included a … More saffron (and tips for parenting teens)

Not all Scrooges are depicted equally…

December 24, 2013

The “auto-format” feature is helpful, but sometimes it is so annoying because it changes words so quickly! My husband and I were laughing about the “messed up” texts (from auto-format) we sent this weekend. His friend asked him what he was wearing on stage, and he meant to type, “I am wearing a dorky … More Not all Scrooges are depicted equally…

Maxine’s Mondrian (power of art)

November 9, 2013

In November 2009, I had the chance to take a solo trip to see family in Florida – my trip actually started with a visit to Jasper, Georgia – which is a beautiful town outside of Atlanta – but it was my visit to the Sunshine State that month which would later lead to a … More Maxine’s Mondrian (power of art)

a chill, rain-washed afternoon

October 23, 2013

As most know, the boys and I are studying British Lit this year. The authors of our text cleverly began the first unit with, what else? you guessed it – – a tea party! Instead of opening with Beuwulf – or defining Anglo-Saxon – we started off with a group of aristocratic, tea drinking folks in a modern short story … More a chill, rain-washed afternoon

Moon bear loves the moon…

September 22, 2013

While our family was driving to dinner the other night, the large Harvest moon caught everyone’s eye – and my husband looked at me and quietly said, “Moonbear lovvvvves the moon….” we both laughed lightly – and shared a warm smile as we instantly reflected back to our Denver, Colorado days of reading toddler books … More Moon bear loves the moon…

Orion to the right (and Whitman poem)

September 21, 2013

We know fall is here by the cooler weather streaming in and by the red, yellow, and gold hues that show up in the landscape. At our house, we also know it is fall when the stars appear in certain “spots” in the sky. For example, each September, someone first notices that the constellation Orion … More Orion to the right (and Whitman poem)

winners have more losses

September 9, 2013

A while ago I heard the saying, “Winners have more losses than losers” – and while I do not like to think of anyone as a loser, and while I also do not like to view setback as a loss (because most hardships have much value)- I still like this saying because the message is … More winners have more losses

Canadian Poet Robert Service

September 8, 2013

We are still digging out from visiting family in Western New York and Niagara Falls, Ontario (Canada). This was one of those trips that was JAM packed with lots to do in just a few days. The Labor Day cookout was enjoyable, the Canadian side of the Falls was spectacular, and my niece’s late night soccer game … More Canadian Poet Robert Service

Fiddler Jones

August 12, 2013

We have enjoyed many visitors this summer! Two of the visitors (who came at separate times) made our house the last stop on their summer trips, which meant they were wiped out and exhausted when they arrived. Their visits were still fun, but it reminded me about how vacations can take a toll – physically … More Fiddler Jones

Speaking Up -(and water poem)

August 6, 2013

We all have different views at different times in life – and sometimes people can only grow when they see a new angle – which may involve someone taking the effort to speak up! In this poem about water, the writer (Robert Fletcher) cleverly asks what someone sees when they look into water: Water When … More Speaking Up -(and water poem)