Donna Gerard
Bio
Every day the world starts anew. Reframe your troubles, take a look around you, and get busy being you.
Author of Who's Tougher Than Us? The Realities of Teaching. Check it out on Amazon or go to my website, donnagerard.com.
Stories (34)
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The Day I Met Meow. AI-Generated.
Barney Payton became my hero in tenth grade in the school cafeteria on a Tuesday afternoon. Today's torment was taking the form of ogre Brandon Brewster kicking the back of my knee causing me to fall on the floor with my lunch tray. As I looked up with a face full of spaghetti sauce, Brandon led the crowd in laughter. This brand-new student offered me his hand.
By Donna Gerardabout a year ago in Fiction
Teacher's Regulating The Environment
If you are one of those teachers who have your own classroom, and if you have a flair for decorating, you are going to spend some time in decorative heaven. Whether you want your classroom to be movie themed, laid back country farmhouse, or look like a literal jungle, knock yourself out. In my own classroom, I always went for the “Maria Montessori” look with open shelves and materials easily available to students. In all honesty, I always missed the mark because my rooms were always very full of students so there was rarely any of the open workspace Montessori would have called for.
By Donna Gerard2 years ago in Education
As The Knee Bends
I got arthritis from a German Shepherd puppy on a beach in Maine. Okay, so some explanation is required here. I was ambling happily through life. Never much of a speed walker even in my youth, by my early 50’s I’d noticed that as I was making my way around the neighborhood, along the beach, or down the Las Vegas Strip, my legs hurt, or my hip, or my ankle. Something was always a little off.
By Donna Gerard2 years ago in Journal
August Madness
It’s August. Teachers are busy buying things to turn the four walls of their classrooms into inviting realms of learning for their students. They are buying cut-outs and borders for bulletin boards, which they will personalize with their students’ names. They will be setting up birthday charts so each child will be celebrated on their special day. Teachers are stocking up on pencils, stickers, and small prizes to keep the kids motivated, and to make sure everyone has something to write with. These teachers are scouring Teachers Pay Teachers and Pinterest, collecting new activities that will enable their students to learn while having fun. They are purchasing rugs for the little ones to sit on, constructing cozy reading nooks, and engineering eye-pleasing storage for all the games, props, books, and art supplies their students will be using throughout the year.
By Donna Gerard2 years ago in Education
LESSON LEARNED
I thought that after I finished college I would get a chance to be wild and free. I’d get a job at an advertising agency in the city and spend my days in a nice office, go to meetings where we’d brainstorm ideas for commercials, and earn enough money for my own little apartment with IKEA furniture and a slightly boho vibe. I’d thrift a trendy wardrobe, go out to dinner with the new friends I’d make, and plan occasional weekend getaways to beaches and ski slopes. I saw myself learning to cook, jogging along the Hudson River, and keeping up with the latest books and movies. Instead I am scrubbing a smelly microwave caked with years of grime, bacteria, and grossness.
By Donna Gerard2 years ago in Fiction
How Doors Get Opened
I was just thinking about book clubs. I’ve been in book clubs for much of my adult life. We’ve read from many genres from summer romances to gothic classics. We read biographies of entertainers and stories of nomadic ancient tribes. All of these titles expanded my mind and widened my horizons.
By Donna Gerard2 years ago in Education
Twelve Things I Can Control
Every year right before my birthday I sit down with a notebook to review what I've accomplished, failed to accomplish, and hope to do in the coming year. I am the consummate planner with a dream board, a journal, a calendar, and a perpetually updated things to do list. This year, however, is different. Five months ago my husband was diagnosed with cancer and everything changed. I quit my "second act" job to stay home and face whatever it is we'd have to face. I froze my plans for publishing the book I had just finished. We are tied to the chemotherapy schedule and tethered to the nearest bathroom due to the effects of chemo. At any time we can be called for a surgery that will take months to recover from, or hear that the tumor is inoperable. A garden variety infection could bring a rapid end, or he might be one of the rare long term survivors living a relatively normal life. In such uncertain times, what can I reasonably plan for this year? There must be something I can control.
By Donna Gerard3 years ago in Humans
