April 4, 2020 LEARN THE HARD WAY

Teaching through Corona virus. It ain't easy. I've learned the INS and OUTS of Google Meet. I've learned to teach lessons via Screencastify.  I've Zoomed--Loomed--Doomed. You name it- I've done it.  I've learned to be EVEN more flexible, creative and understanding too. BUT-- the most important thing I've learned--Teachers will NEVER be out of a job. It is impossible to replicate the classroom via computers. Relationships CAN NOT be formed virtually. The teacher/student relationship has to be formed in the classroom. It is the KEY to successful students. When students know their teachers support them--they want to succeed. They become more self-confident--willing to take  the risks  necessary to blossom and grow. I love getting to know ALL my students. I love helping them reach their goals.  I love to joke around with them--tease them--sing with them--whatever it takes to get them to know that I CARE. That's why I teach. I miss my classroom, my students AND our camaraderie. Hope to see you--IN PERSON--real soon.

It going to take a special kind of person to get through Nicole Krauss' novel Forest Dark. I decided to read this book because I've read her previous novels and really liked them. I especially LOVED The History of Love--so read that instead. Forest Dark is a tough read. Set in New York City and Israel, the story is about two people, Jules Epstein and Nicole. Jules is a a wealthy, retired, troubled man. After the death of his parents, three months apart, he decides to divorce his wife of thirty years and give away all his money and possessions. He also decides to go "home" to Tel Aviv on a sort of pilgrimage, and later goes missing. Nicole (can't help but think this is autobiographical) is a famous author, with two children and a failing marriage. In an effort to revive her career, she is suffering from writer's block, she decides to go to the Hilton Tel Aviv where her family frequently traveled in her youth. During her visit, she meets a literature professor who tries to convince her to finish  some of Kafka's work. The story flips back and forth between the characters but it is ultimately about the two characters and their metamorphosis (Kafka's short story) and  journey of self-discovery. It's about 280 pages or a 6 mile run with many hills. Good Luck.