In the Blur

Pippa and Einstein love treats and quarantine Quarantine Day 8 (or is it 9)? Social distancing. Flatten the curve.  #Coronacation.  All words and phrases which are now part of everyday vernacular.  I’m as isolated as one can be with 5 children, two corgis, one cat, and a husband who is still working and only home on the weekends. I’m intrigued by the notion of quarantine journal as primary source so here goes. First thoughts…I’m very grateful that I was a stay at home for 10 years so I have some experience with all this balancing.  Working from home is hard…professional face on one side of the computer, kids lined up vying for attention on the other side. I’ve been trying to write this post for 10 days and finally have literally locked myself in a room to get it done.  My teenage children have a seemingly endless stream of “can I go to this place, can XXX come over, I’m just going to run next door to get my Xbox controller, can w...

            I believe that humans and the earth are intertwined, interrelated, and connected on both physical and spiritual levels.  The earth houses or brings forth the components and building blocks of life (water, food, air). Reconnecting with nature is a common component of well-being in many parts of the world (forest bathing in Japan, “Nature Step to Respiratory Health” in Finland (2018), or grounding) and is growing within the global medical community (for both physical and mental health). I wholeheartedly believe that there is such a thing as a “natural curriculum”.  Although, I also believe that the lived curriculum is a larger part of what we learn than our specific time within formal classroom learning.  I believe the natural curriculum is larger than what we learn in our science classes and I found the readings linking environmental issues and learning to social studies curriculum ...

Cycle One: What is curriculum?   Ask 10 educators what curriculum is and it’s likely you will get 10 varied answers.  Ask me the same question on ten different days and I’ll likely give a slightly varied answer each time myself.  Curriculum is complex, convoluted, and sometimes a conundrum to me personally.  On the surface, I believe curriculum to be the basic set of information (objectives, goals, standards, etc.) that you teach in a class, course, or learning situation. Thought of holistically, curriculum takes on a much broader scope.  Or is it perhaps boundless?  I believe that “curriculum” can stretch across the lifespan. Curriculum becomes the sum total of everything we learn and how we relate that knowledge to our beliefs and values ultimately encompassing everything in our lives.  Alfred North Whitehead wrote, “There is only one subject-matter for education, and that is Life in all its manifestations....

Hello!  Welcome to my corner of the internet and thanks for stopping in!  If it was real life, I’d offer you coffee or drinks and provide you with snacks.   I’m Sarah, living life in a bit of a blur but always striving for more clarity.  I’m “mom, Mom, MOM,” to five awesome kids who are blessings and keep my husband and I constantly on the move. Our oldest is a senior in high school and currently applying to college, while our youngest is in fourth grade. I span the k-12 school system as both a parent and an educator.  This year our kids are involved in football, tennis, baseball, soccer, and horse-back riding lessons plus all other kinds of school activities. The kids are in an International Baccalaureate Chinese Immersions program ( Post Oak  )which is a rather unique experience. I love to read, garden, and travel but due to the time constraints of life, I don’t really spend any time on my own hobbies at this point. I was...