Tag Archives: education

THE BOARD is almost here!

I know we are supposed to be relishing the last of the summer, but school is starting and my newest book, a thrillerI am so excited to share with you, comes out on Sept. 9th! THE BOARD is coming from Blackstone Publishing very soon.

I’ve been busy planning lots of bookstore events so if you are a Vermonter, or want to come to Vermont, check these out! I would love to see you and talk thrillers, small town drama, fall in New England, and women upending systems of power!

There is still time to order a SIGNED copy from the beloved Bear Pond Books!

Hope to see you out there!

The Library Journal review!

Real Talk for New Teachers: Tools for a Sustainable Career OUT NOW

This is me as a new teacher (yes, we actually had chalk boards then!) back in 2000. I had a lot to learn about how to manage my life as a new public school educator.

Now, 25 years later, Penny Bishop and I have a book out today just for new and beginning teachers called Real Talk for New Teachers: Tools for a Sustainable Career (with Routledge). We deeply hope it helps educators build a humane and sustainable career in teaching. The book is loaded with advice from veteran teachers, new research on how to fight burnout, and opportunities for reflection and building your own personalized plan. I wish I had this book back then, would have saved me many a sleepless night and helped me to enjoy more of my life.


You can find it at your local indie, the publisher, or online retailer. We’d be so honored if you shared this with your educator circles, mentor program leaders, principals, and new teachers. Please reach out if you are interested in reviewing the book or want to review a copy for your course or school.

Happy summer, teachers, you did it!

PS- I am pretty sure I still have these pants. And they are back in style. 🙂

New Article out in Middle Grades Review: Self-Directed Learning and Service Learning in Middle Grades

I’m excited to share that our new scholarly article has been published today in the academic journal the Middle Grades Review: Self-Directed Learning and Service Learning in Middle Grades: What are the Connections and Implications?

This one is a long time coming. I learned a great deal from Rachel Mark’s research on self direction, which inspired this article analyzing the connections between self-direction and service learning. Especially after the pandemic, and in the social media/attention economy, self direction in students is a challenge. After looking at the literature, it is clear that educators can build students’ self direction by engaging in intentional service learning that gives students independence, scaffolding, motivation, and communication skills to thrive. This article also shares a new framework that highlights the connections between these two concepts and approaches. I hope it is helpful to educators.

Let me know what you think!