Drum Roll Please…

12 Feb Drum Roll Please…

To paraphrase a Boyz II Men song popular in my youth:

I am thrilled to announce that my family and I are moving to California! Los Angeles, here we come!

First, the goodbye.

New York City has been an immeasurably powerful force in  my life. I had so many opportunities to grow and struggle and explore as an educator and human being.

I got to work as a teacher (general and special ed) of  grades K-5 in incredible schools, alongside some of the most creative, innovative, and dedicated teachers, consultants and administrators.

I published books on topics that mattered deeply to me, working with children and families that humbled me.

I spent five years at the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project immersed in the world of literacy and workshop teaching with esteemed and electrifying thinkers as my colleagues.

I got to build relationships with schools and districts in a coaching/consulting context.

I even,  somehow, managed to go twenty years without ever dropping my phone on a subway track.

There is so much I am grateful for, so much that has become a part of my DNA, so much that I think about fondly. I am who I am because of the people and experiences I was fortunate enough to encounter.

Now the next step.

Hello Los Angeles! Hello California! 

What’s that over there? FRESH PRODUCE IN JANUARY?!  

What do you call this yellow ball in the sky? Sun?!  What a novel place!

But for real, I am deeply exhilarated to explore this new landscape, as a human and as an educator. I am hoping to make new connections with dedicated and innovative teachers and administrators, begin new coaching and consulting relationships, and keep writing books that showcase the brilliant work of children and teachers everywhere.

So let’s talk!

Are you in a west coast school or district looking for school based coaching or workshops in literacy, workshop teaching, play, or mindset/Social Emotional Learning  work? Maybe all of them at once?  I’d love to connect! You can leave a comment or go to the “contact me” section on the blog.

Have you moved a toddler across country? Also feel free to contact me with advice about surviving that… and/or about babysitting said toddler while we live in a sea of boxes.

Do you have a hot tip about a rental property in Highland Park or Eagle Rock? You have now become my new favorite person! Contact me!

I cannot wait for this adventure to begin, and all the ones yet undiscovered.

“The thing is, I suppose, “ he said, “that one gets into the habit of being oneself. It takes some great upheaval to crack that shell and force us to discover what else might be underneath.”

Tana French The Witch Elm