Rachel Spigarelli

I am homeschooling, right now, today. I am homeschooling in the present tense. I am not a finished product, I am very much in-process. I am learning and growing and trying each day. I’ve been homeschooling for 15 years, and still have another 10 more years to go.

A One-Page Explanation

In my college technical writing class, we were given the challenge to succinctly explain complex tasks without any images. That forever changed my experience reading instructions. I know it is important to keep things short, but it is equally important to be clear. We got this “how-to” book from the library and it made us …

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Surprising Sprouts

This is my eleventh summer in Virginia, but I’m still surprised at how things grow in abundance.  Today I noticed a sprout in the door frame.  The door frame!  As I studied it, I noticed another one nearby in the crack of the deck floor.  Ah! “Anything will grow well in this Virginia humidity,” I …

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The Dehumidifier Habit

“While we’re out of town,” my neighbor kindly asked, “will you please come empty our dehumidifier?”  During the hot and humid Virginia summer, their basement becomes moldy.  The dehumidifier decreases the moisture.  Their front door is only steps away from mine, so it wasn’t a big ask.  She warned, “you might need to go over …

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Teaching To The Test

It’s that time of year–cramming, scrambling, weeping and wailing–we are preparing for AP tests. Among the stress and frustration, my son made me laugh when he shared this innocent observation: “I’ve always imagined the bubble sheet to be a river.” He continued explaining, “I want to try to block the river with the bubble choices …

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