Autumn: at times there are vibrant colors in the foliage. At times there are muted hues of rain swept days. The stars are brilliant some nights. On other nights,there are no stars to see for the clouds. Sometimes there's a hint of warm breeze; more often, it's the sharp edge of wind that hints of winter. At times there's sunshine; at times there's snow. It is a time for gatherings, and a time for solitude. There is time for conversation, and space for reflection. Autumn: it is  a season of shifts.
 

I grew up in New York. Fast paced, fast walking, and definitely fast-talking - I sped through the everyday with efficiency, speed, and haste. My travel itineraries were quick, and I regularly booked holidays to go directly from work to the airport and timed my return flight to get in an hour or so before the next week’s first bell. 

I never knew that one of the best compliments from a former student was “I never really thought I was learning anything in your class – we just had fun.” At first I was offended and thought, ‘really, with all of that work in my lesson planning and efforts, really?’ And then I realized it was a compliment. Eventually, even those same students realized that if they didn’t know something at the start of the year and by the end of the year they excelled – then there must have been something going on.