Author Archives: Swapna

The Somewhat Counter-intuitive Reading Habit That Helped Me Read More

I am a slow reader. Well, slow compared to the hardcore Bookstagrammers and Booktokers out there. I don’t think I’ll ever reach 50+ books a year, at least not at my current stage of parenthood. But I have consistently surpassed my personal goal of 25 books/year for a few years now, and to me, that’sContinue reading “The Somewhat Counter-intuitive Reading Habit That Helped Me Read More”

My 2024 Reading Journal Project

Reading journals are in my blood. From being forced to keep a journal as a kid, to becoming an English teacher and learning that processing our reading through book clubs and logs helps us remember our reading more, I love keeping track of my reading. I successfully kept a journal for about 6 years, butContinue reading “My 2024 Reading Journal Project”

DIY Pop Culture Advent Calendar: One of My Favorite Holiday Projects EVER!

I have to give all the credit to my friend Kelly for this one. My friends come up with such fun projects for me to do, and this one was AMAZING. If you’re painting your own advent calendar this year, or just looking for ideas for pop culture Christmas paintings, scroll down to see imagesContinue reading “DIY Pop Culture Advent Calendar: One of My Favorite Holiday Projects EVER!”

Holiday Freebies: Printable Lord of the Rings Handlettered Quotes

What better way to celebrate the fall and winter holidays than with quotes about food and togetherness from JRR Tolkien? I wanted to try my hand at downloadable freebies, so here’s a set of handlettered pieces that I made in 2022! These are 8.5x11in downloadable PDFs. They are for your personal use, and not intendedContinue reading “Holiday Freebies: Printable Lord of the Rings Handlettered Quotes”

Transcendentalist Day: A Low Pressure Intro to American Transcendentalism and Launch Into APUSH Period 4

The change of seasons from summer to fall always makes me think of one of my absolute favorite lessons for American Studies. Full disclosure: This is a lesson idea I took from our AmStud district lead. But it’s such a good one that I have to share! I love taking an inquiry-based approach to learning.Continue reading “Transcendentalist Day: A Low Pressure Intro to American Transcendentalism and Launch Into APUSH Period 4”