I'll be the first one to tell you I have had a hard life. A brief summary: I lived in 30 different homes throughout my childhood, my parents divorced and fought an ugly custody battle that ultimately awarded 100% custody to my dad due to my mom being deemed "unfit" when I was in my... Continue Reading →
We Won’t Be Able to Blame Ignorance Much Longer
So much of who I am as a human being is this belief I have that I am to meet people where they are at, and inspire them to grow from that point. I do this with my students, with the teachers I coach, with the strangers I talk to in the grocery store, and... Continue Reading →
Introducing Kids to Race and Bias
When I think about the books I read as a kid, some of the classics come to mind. There was a lot of Dr. Seuss, Berenstain Bears, Junie B. Jones, Baby Sitters’ Club, Magic Tree House, etc. I saw a lot of examples of girls who looked and thought like me in the books I... Continue Reading →
Minneapolis Artists Who Inspire Me
Support local artists! You make a difference.
family tree poem
when i look at our family tree, it seems safe to say that the only similarity i am confident of is this: generation after generation, our tears are in the same language.
2019: Here’s What I Read This Year
I read 30 books in 2019! And I'm pretty proud of that. Here are some noticings about all the books I read: I read 3 graphic novels, 8 fiction novels, 16 non-fiction works, and 3 books of poetry. 25 of the 30 books were written by women and/or non binary folks. 16 of the 30... Continue Reading →
Read with Me in 2019: Books 26-30!
As I typed out the title for this, I just realized this is it. This is the last one for 2019. And honestly, I'm pretty proud of 30 books in one year. I didn't set out to read a certain number, although I maybe would have preferred 50, but 30 is pretty good. I read... Continue Reading →
It’s (Not) the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
For some, including me, the end of the calendar year brings a lot of reminders of how much pain we're experiencing. Gathering with family can reopen a lot of old wounds. Not gathering with family can cause heartache too. The list of reasons to be grieving is long... I could sense in myself the dread... Continue Reading →
There is Evidence of Living All Over My Living Room
I sort of joke now about how my step-mom kept our house like a model home. On any given day, it could have been put on the market and shown to potential buyers. Everything was surface-level clean... except the kids' rooms. When I started dating Ben in tenth grade, I was so surprised by the... Continue Reading →
Phrases I’m Choosing Not to Say Anymore
I really identify with the term "liberal snowflake." I suppose it is meant to be an insult, but I really treasure the uniqueness and value of each human being, and I want everyone to have access to resources that serve their physical and emotional well-being. I am in a new role as a racial equity... Continue Reading →