Michigan Fireside

We had a great time at Katie's house, complete with fine china and excellent food. The corn chowder was exquisite, perfect for the blustery, freezing evening. Thank you so much, Katie!

Loved actually meeting by the fireplace; that was peaceful, invigorating, comforting.

Thanks to Janet for coming from so far away! Janet, we so value your thoughtfulness as you teach teachers. It's good for us and
for the profession. Your wisdom gathered from years of Project Zero work add so much--and we didn't even launch into "Teaching for Understanding" yet! All such very important work--we are cheering you on! The same goes for Katie, in her work of teaching teachers. (And Katie, are we going to talk about your invention? I think it'd be vastly beneficial for all of us.)

Thanks to Jennifer for joining and bringing her thoughtful and outside-of-the-box friend Audrey! Audrey, you give us so much perspective, with your background in Montessori, homeschooling, and "unschooling." Jennifer, we are enriched by your multitude of experiences--as an extraordinarily creative teacher in America, and also as a soviet teacher and exchange-student supervisor. Beyond that, of course, as is true for all of us, we benefit from hearing about your whole-child (and active advocacy) approach to parenting.

Thanks for "MIxer" coming and sharing the years of experience as a principal in Inkster. We love hearing the tales of healing and magic that you are able to accomplish, that no one else can! You know some things that just have to be shared with the world.

Thanks to Diane for being part of the mix with that amazing perspective on how kids need to be "launched" into learning, with self-understanding and advocacy.

You can see the forum "Burning Issues"--that's one startup point. Be brave (and find time!!) to get something down, however informal. Let it be conversational, a draft, a beginning.