tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200Wed, 08 Apr 2026 10:44:16 +0000#ksybblogchallengeteachingfallblogchallenge2010teacherchallengelearningreadingreflectionblogbloggingmemoriestechnology30d2bbbPLNabout mebook reviewdissertationgraduate schoolhigher educationideasimagespersonal historyplurkpodcasttwittervideoweb2.0wednesdaywriting#100dayproject #100daysofpoems4th dayA Christmas MemoryCursilloEdTechTalkJohn PedersonWOW2.0audienceavatarbalancebenedictinebest blogsbill gatesbishopbookschild soldierclassicscohcohicollegecommunitycover to cover girlsdigital memoriesdiocese of Alabamaeat pray loveedublogawards2010elizabeth gilbertembedded mediaepiscopalessential_skillsfallfavoritesfoodfreshmenfungeocachinggoalshealthiPadiPodinspirationishmael beahiste2011iste2011 infographics conferencejournalsk12online08k12online2008kevinhkevinhoneycuttlatinlesson planslifelistlong way gonemagistramathmediamemoirmicrobloggingonlineorientationpaperphotospicturesproblem-solvingprofessorshippublishrantread aloudreadershipreading fallblogchallenge2010 poll googleformreading titletalk librarians lms mediaspecialistsrequired readingresearchsidebarskillssnowspiritualitysponsorsuccesssummertimetasksteach42teacher educationteaching ideas reflection gettingbetter learningthehelp movies racism integrationthinkingtomatotoolstop10tuscaloosauniversityuser_profileuwawalkingwidgetwikiworshipwowwriteyes_techReflections, opinions, and ideas from the mind of Lauriehttp://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Laurie)Blogger169125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-8107542927660222017Sun, 10 Aug 2025 17:52:00 +00002025-08-10T10:52:29.543-07:00&nbsp;This week I started my next, new adventure.&nbsp; I am now an English teacher for grades 9 and 12 at Grissom High School in Huntsville. And it’s a big change.I have been told by my closest family and friends that it was time for me to get back to teaching kids instead of adults. Stubborn me didn’t listen. But then I found myself looking for a job in July and my friend from church suggested http://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2025/08/what-week-its-been.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-8131371141790277263Sun, 05 Nov 2023 20:41:00 +00002023-11-05T12:41:10.298-08:00&nbsp;Having become an Episcopalian in college, I started my observation of All Saints Day in the 1980s in Tuscaloosa at Canterbury Chapel.&nbsp; Each year I was delighted to learn about saints during the parade of saints the Sunday School children put on.&nbsp; Then, I got a little older. I had friends and family pass away. I realized that those people I knew were also saints for me. At St. http://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2023/11/all-saints-day-2023.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-4632399537297281907Tue, 05 Jul 2022 18:57:00 +00002022-07-05T12:13:04.565-07:00&nbsp;July 2, 2022&nbsp; This past week I spent my second year at Sawyerville Summer Learning Camp in Greensboro, Alabama.&nbsp; What a difference a year makes!&nbsp; Last year after the first day, I was exhausted and overwhelmed. This year I was energized and excited to come and spend two weeks teaching math to students who had just completed kindergarten.&nbsp; In my preparations to serve athttp://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2022/07/sawyerville-summer-learning-take-two.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-442208397071282333Tue, 15 Feb 2022 21:57:00 +00002022-02-15T13:59:33.188-08:00#100dayproject #100daysofpoemsDays 1-3/100 Days of Poems&nbsp; #100dayprojectCelebrating Nashville&nbsp;Noticing the blue sky, feeling the cold wind and hearing the music in the streets Ambling around downtown absorbing the culture of the Music City Singing along with country hits in the Country Music Hall of Fame Having fun people watching on Broadway in brand new boots and cowboy hats Visiting the Frist Art Museum to http://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2022/02/blog-post.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-1733918860494220333Fri, 30 Jul 2021 15:06:00 +00002021-07-31T08:53:51.539-07:00&nbsp;Sawyerville Day 1 In June 2020, I was ready to serve as a teacher at Sawyerville. Excited to be stretching my education skills, I was assigned to teach science to third graders. Throughout the shutdown spring of COVID, I was eternally optimistic that God would find a way for us to share His love with the kids of Hale County, but it was not to be. Working with kids face-to-face in http://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2021/07/sawyerville-summer-learning-day-1.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-7200271783001566207Mon, 10 May 2021 14:43:00 +00002021-05-10T07:43:37.669-07:00On January 31, 2021, I started the 100 Day Project because I saw a Facebook post from my friend MaryAnna Hudson Brown about it. I looked it up online and found out about it.So at first I thought I would write a short poem or paragraph everyday, but then I was unsure if my observations would be artistic or not. In January I had a huge problem with my writing being either blocked or forced. I http://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2021/05/day-100-of-the100dayproject.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-6585723388002890742Tue, 25 Feb 2020 01:40:00 +00002020-02-24T17:40:34.125-08:00 A Voice that Yearned to Be Heard Laurie Fowler My dad loved words and loved language and loved reading and loved storytelling. His dream was to be a college professor, but his life took a turn when he found the exciting world of newspapering. “They pay me to read the paper,“ he boasted, after securing a copy editor’s position. His was a voice that yearned to be heard. My dad moved on http://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2020/02/a-voice-that-yearned-to-be-heard.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-6428173288877441301Wed, 08 Jan 2020 17:01:00 +00002020-01-08T09:01:15.755-08:00 What works? Economics teachers who talk about seasonal employment give examples of Christmas retail and Christmas tree lots; this real world connection makes economics real to students. World History teachers connect current events to the history of trade in Africa.&nbsp; Where are the new markets for the US and China? Africa and Asia are the most open territories.&nbsp; U.S. History and http://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2020/01/teaching-is-hard-work.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-8273716786859726364Thu, 12 Dec 2019 18:00:00 +00002019-12-12T10:01:05.527-08:00 Advent season in the Episcopal Church is one that always has challenges for me.&nbsp; I was raised Baptist so the idea of Advent was one that I first encountered in college.&nbsp; The idea of watching and waiting during the excitement of the Christmas season was not one that I was familiar with. Also, I am not sure I had ever heard any advent carols except for O Come, O Come Emmanuel. http://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2019/12/approaching-advent.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-7967148731018383363Wed, 26 Jun 2019 14:59:00 +00002019-06-26T07:59:27.047-07:00 Each August as teachers are preparing their classrooms and buying school supplies, I am on the prowl for the perfect travel computer bag for my busiest work season. By looking at my online order history, one can see that this is a quest that I have been on for a while. Being a true travel nerd for six years, I have specific requirements for the perfect computer bag.&nbsp; It should be colorful,http://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-perfect-computer-travel-bag.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-2764105508846243946Mon, 17 Jun 2019 13:32:00 +00002019-06-17T06:32:35.642-07:00 Not ready yet I'm still not ready to not have my daddy. It's been five years and I miss him still and I guess I always will.I miss him on big holidays and events like Father’s Day, but it’s the little things that bring tears to my eyes, that make me catch a ragged breath, that make me miss him even more. ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <!--[endif]-->Seeing tables of http://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2019/06/not-ready-yet.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-9102339886232211707Fri, 03 May 2019 18:30:00 +00002019-05-03T11:30:37.888-07:00 Sitting around all day with nothing to do is for some a dream come true.&nbsp; Students finishing high school or college and people counting down the days to retirement look forward to days of freedom; however, for me working from home when I am supposed to be out in schools working is a bit depressing.&nbsp; I was heading toward depression even though I have good medication for that. Yes, http://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2019/05/walking-with-gospel-music-and-waterfowl.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-5169646190945904022Sun, 28 Apr 2019 19:25:00 +00002019-04-28T12:25:16.734-07:00I am staying with my Aunt Jenny in Rome on and off for the next few months.&nbsp; Jenny who is a member at North Broad Baptist Church was volunteering at their quarterly Community Brunch Saturday morning. So because I have a passion for feeding hungry people, I tagged along. We arrived at 8:00 to a kitchen full of people bustling about making a full breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, http://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2019/04/real-meaning-of-community.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-4398349090830436515Tue, 16 Apr 2019 16:56:00 +00002019-04-16T10:11:20.396-07:00 Here is my response to the following article I read on Facebook. When I realized that I was having a conversation with myself about the article, I knew that a blog post was in order. Let’s stop pretending you don’t do these 58 annoying things when you fly https://www.orbitz.com/blog/2018/05/annoying-things-when-you-fly-travel/ When this came up on my Facebook feed this morning, I just http://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2019/04/lets-stop-pretending.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-7806659916583222729Tue, 08 Aug 2017 17:12:00 +00002017-08-08T10:12:50.976-07:00Dear Mary Cole, I have loved being your LaLa for 11 years. &nbsp;I think I was maybe the first person out side of your family to know you were on your way! &nbsp;I remember visiting you when you were only a week old. I am sure my first gift to you was a book. I often just had to send care packages because I couldn't deliver them in person, but I am lucky that I live closer now. I love hanging http://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2017/08/happy-birthday-mary-cole.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-3307617606859197424Sat, 10 Jun 2017 19:45:00 +00002017-06-10T12:46:54.702-07:00 Hallelujah Anyway by Anne Lamott&nbsp; A reflection by Laurie Fowler I have read many of Anne Lamott’s previous books: Traveling Mercies, Plan B, Help, Thanks, Wow!, so when I saw a new book in an airport bookstore, I bought it.&nbsp; A real book, that although it is small adds weight to my carry on.&nbsp; Knowing how accessible Anne’s texts usually are, I opened it up before we even took off http://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2017/06/hallelujahanyway-by-anne-lamott.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-4880898009600303838Sat, 10 Jun 2017 00:21:00 +00002017-06-09T17:24:16.018-07:00 I spent the last four days in a Muslim school in New York City.&nbsp; I was a bit worried about dressing properly and not offending anyone. I called the project manager to inquire about proper attire.&nbsp; I was relieved to discover that I didn’t have to wear a hajib, or observe the fast for Ramadan, or change my work wardrobe—just wear pants, closed-toe shoes, and longish sleeves.&nbsp; My http://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2017/06/more-alike-than-different.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-1286413635251634964Sat, 09 Jul 2016 21:19:00 +00002016-07-09T14:19:11.435-07:00 Inspired by my friend from St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Robbie Clark, I am going to start blogging again. Since my dad died in 2014, I have had major writer’s block due to my own emotional stress.&nbsp; After I read In My Words by Robbie Clark, a vivid recount of growing up and living with autism, I knew that my time to write had come again.&nbsp; I really like making lists so I will start http://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2016/07/im-baaaaaaaaaaaaaack.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-5336486442502520803Tue, 25 Mar 2014 16:31:00 +00002014-03-25T09:31:50.487-07:00These are the memories that Lindy, Lee, and I wrote about our dad, Ed Fowler, who died on March 9, 2014.&nbsp; These memories were read as part of his funeral service. <!--[if gte mso 9]> http://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2014/03/remembering-dad.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-3515744377275981973Mon, 16 Sep 2013 15:30:00 +00002013-09-16T08:30:30.336-07:00 Monday, September 16, 2013 &nbsp; I am listening to the new Diane Mott Davidson culinary mystery, The Whole Enchilada, in the car as I travel to and from work. (Of course, now that I live in Huntsville, my drive is very short; I may never get&nbsp;to the end of this mystery!)&nbsp; I love these mysteries and have been reading them for over 20 years after my dear friend, Luanne, http://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2013/09/its-monday-what-are-you-reading.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-5986659992666955293Mon, 03 Jun 2013 14:58:00 +00002013-06-03T07:58:51.084-07:00In my new job, I have been learning American History in order to do teacher professional development on the eText. &nbsp;I have been slogging away through history of the United States from 1877 to present. &nbsp;This morning I got to the chapter on Vietnam. &nbsp;Several things occurred to me as I studied this chapter. I only know about Vietnam from television and movies. &nbsp;I was born in http://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2013/06/good-morning-vietnam.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-3369207820011962644Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:50:00 +00002013-03-21T08:50:51.517-07:00 Slice of Life, March 21, 2013 Well, according to the 1980s tv commercial, it was girls who used Nair.&nbsp; Now, I would say just about anyone can wear short shorts because they are so prevalent in the stores. I saw this pair of shorts at Target recently (Size 18 in case you care).&nbsp; They are indeed short; in fact, they break both of my very important fashion axioms for big girls likehttp://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2013/03/who-wears-short-shorts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-3303145015373438853Wed, 20 Mar 2013 18:03:00 +00002013-03-20T11:03:50.322-07:00 March 20, 2013 Ten years ago today, I was teaching a group of Tuscaloosa County teachers how to do stuff with Intel Teach to the Future at the old Alternative School in Holt. It was our second or third meeting and we had gotten very comfortable with each other.&nbsp; I found out the night before that my sister, Lindy, was being induced the following day--yes, the day of my workshop.&nbsp; http://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2013/03/luke-was-born-decade-ago.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-5849211679844946072Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:53:00 +00002013-03-19T08:53:40.728-07:00 Slice of Life March 19, 2013 Today, I talked to my friend Luanne. We met when I first visited Mt. Zion High School in December of 1990.&nbsp; She and I really hit it off and she made me feel very welcome. I ended up taking that job teaching Latin and English at Mt. Zion for the 1991-92 school year.&nbsp; On the first day of pre-planning, Luanne gave me a card and a purse calendar since it http://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2013/03/best-friends.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5015200.post-2192213079818857759Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:53:00 +00002013-03-19T08:53:34.930-07:00 Today is my grandmother's 86th birthday! She is a wonderful lady who has been there for me all of my life.&nbsp; She was a lunchroom lady for over 25 years and was the chief reason I never (well almost never) got to take my lunch to school when I was growing up. She is always ready to go and enjoy a good meal and find a bargain. I recently spent Girlfriends' Weekend with her and I am glad to http://lauriefowler.blogspot.com/2013/03/happy-birthday-grannie.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laurie)2