Author: Misha Parker

  • 621 Days

    621 Days. We have just concluded our longest foster placement ever. The details of our boys’ departure are not for us to share publicly–except to tell you that we believe the right call was made, and they are where they should be.  Some of you have followed our foster journey since the beginning. You’ve been…

  • Reusing the Toilet Paper: The Mess We Make When We Assume Prior Knowledge

    Several months ago, our family took a trip to St. Louis. We stayed in a magical historic home in a small town on the outskirts of the city. All of us were excited to explore the nooks and crannies of the old house, but our two foster boys (ages 8 and 10) were totally floored…

  • Children Only Have One Childhood, So Don’t Give Them The Grown-Up Jobs

    The day we bought our house in Missouri, I was the worst version of myself. Half of my family was still packing up our big, beautiful, wonderful house in Arkansas. The house where we had loved so many “bonus kids.” The house where we made a magical garden and built a beehive and hosted pizza…

  • Funny or Not Funny–A Lesson in Unconditional Positive Regard

    Today during my planning time at school, I found myself reflecting on the concept of unconditional positive regard. This is a prerequisite for forming relationships with students (and all people, really) who don’t strike you right away as super likable. It’s a mind over matter thing. We are teaching professionals. We’ll make ourselves like you,…

  • A Daddy for Buddy

    One of the best things about teaching elementary music is forming relationships with every kid at school. In Arkadelphia, it also meant that any foster child in pre-k through 1st grade who was placed in our home would go to school with me and be my music student. “Champ” visited Perritt for the first time…

  • An Epiphany at the Widows’ Brunch

    This morning, Meg and I attended a brunch for widows hosted by our church’s deacons. “Youtube stars” that we are, we were invited to come as the entertainment. Our set list included several folk songs that I teach in the classroom along with a few songs my Nickelodeon Choir learned for our 1970s-themed show several…

  • Life With Puppets, Part 2: Lower the Affective Filter and Make Boring Jobs Fun!

    Most days in my classroom, effective teaching involves performance art. I’ve been doing a certain little schtick for years. The objective is to teach the children a simple song called “Hop, Old Squirrel,” a mi-re-do song, so that they can eventually sing it individually and maintain the tonality. (This can take years for some kids,…

  • Life with Puppets, Part 1

    As I look back on my career in education, the years can be divided into two distinct eras: B.P. (Before Puppets) and A. P. (After Puppets). In the Before Puppets era of my teacher life, I did all the jobs myself. That was hard work. I cajoled and scolded reluctant kids into participating in the…

  • Life of the Party

    Tonight my husband and I attended a swanky party on a rooftop in Kansas City. We were surrounded by stylish people who were all well-versed in the art of networking. I like people, and people generally like me. But I always feel like the weirdest kid at this kind of party. If you hang around…

  • Mrs. Winter’s Angel

    A dear friend once asked me if I cried over the sad stories our foster kids carried with them. Answer: not usually. I prioritized providing the necessary structure and nurture these kids needed in their first days with us. Stopping to cry would have interrupted that process. But this one got me.   A little…