Author: Jennifer Wood Laird
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The Best Advice I Ever Received
A friend of mine is collecting advice for her newspaper column. I thought I share one piece of advice I use every day. Do the Reading The irony here is comical because I literally spend my days promoting best practices in reading and creating systems for kids to achieve in reading. All day long! Like…
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16 Candles May Burn Down the House
There will be 16 candles on the cake I prepare this weekend for my first born. He is the one who made me a Mama, and the emotional connection I share with him is unlike any other. He is smart, handsome, and witty. He’s athletic, sarcastic, and sensitive. He plays the big brother role and…
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“Two Sisters”-a play on how Shakespeare would interpret my dilemma
“Two sisters, both alike in dignity, In fair Hayward, where we lay our scene, An ancient grudge breaks out each morn and eve, Where Type A bleeds clean and Type Z screams relaxed. Two sisters with opposing viewpoints on how to keep a room clean.”
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“Hurried People Miss Many Things”
I try to read a novel a week and there is always one line where I feel instant and total connection. The line jumps off the page, and I’ll read it a dozen times, write it down, or take a photo of it. It will linger in my mind and acts like a mentor guiding…
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The Giver
Today, I’m putting aside my writing to focus on the words written by other Slicer’s. I love reading and learning from the experiences of others. It energizes me and motivates me to write!
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Pace Yourself, Mags!
If you walked in my house at 7:04 this morning, you would have witnessed an array of emotions and meltdowns. My 4th grader, who has been battling a cold during state testing this week, was on the floor of my bathroom crying. She was dreading the pacer test and finding all other reasons not to…
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My First Memory
I am in a swimming pool with my older sisters and dad. Sara and Amy are in matching swimsuits, one blue and one red, because everything was matching for the duo who just missed being Irish twins by one month. We are all smiling at Dad’s silly antics in the pool: splashing, throwing and handstands.…
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Snow Much Drama
Why do things get less exciting as we get older? I wish I could bottle childhood enthusiasm for birthdays and Christmas morning; the euphoric giddiness could probably be illustrated with naked, little elves water sliding down a pool of espresso! It’s just so much glee! Educators experience this glee on the last day of school.…
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Micro Moves/Micro Shifts
Change is inevitable in all facets of our lives. We change our hairstyle, our eating habits, our routines, our friends, and even our needs versus wants with NO explanation. I make changes every day which result in me doing something different because something in my life isn’t working. So tell me, why do educators need…
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50 Precious Words
In my journey to become a published picture book author, I’m submitting my writing for critique. It’s a frightening concept; rejection is hard. The most recent challenge was to write a story for kids using 50 words. You have to be very selective. I received Honorable Mention accolades! Try it!
Jennifer Wood Laird 