The Blog
Taking the Lid off the Sun began as a collection of stories related to my experiences raising an intuitive child. Since returning to teaching in the fall of 2010, I've broadened my focus toward the larger educational issues facing today's parents. I've discovered that Lucas is not so very unique, after all, and my task of understanding and nurturing my son's special gifts has now grown to encompass a generation of children, starting in my community.
The Author
My name is Alexis Ahrens, and I’m passionate about understanding children and how they tick. After twelve years of teaching - many of them heartbreaking, as I've wrestled with a system that seemed so out of sync with our children - I'm finally in a position to do something that makes sense to me. As the founder and teacher in a new and very special elementary school, I'm now co-creating an educational environment for children that is at once challenging, nurturing, creative, and engaging. This new school is a free public charter school under National University Academy's charter, and it's called the Sparrow Program. I am also a current student in the Waldorf Institute of Southern California teacher training program, which is informing and supporting many of our methods and understandings at Sparrow.
I wear many hats these days, primarily mother, wife, teacher, student. My days are full and my nights are busy. I miss my writing hat, and hope to don it again intermittently to fill you all in on the wonders that occur daily in our classrooms and in my home with my quickly growing boy.
Cheers!
Alexis
5 comments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
Alexis, I couldn't find your email address, but this video is INCREDIBLE and I wondered if you had seen it. I thought of you.
Hope you are well and having a relaxing summer!
Michelle Slater
michelle21640@msn.com
Hi Michelle~ I love that video! In fact, I used it at the end of this post a number of months ago: http://www.takingthelidoffthesun.com/2010/10/superman-super-lame-more-of-same.html
Cheers!
Alexis
Mrs. Ahrens,
My apologies for getting in contact with you this way but I couldn't find another form of contact. I was wondering if there was a way for me to get information on the Xara school. Can you email me at justin.l.trujillo@gmail.com?
I apologize if this was not the appropriate way to get in contact with you but I couldn't fin another way.
Regards,
Justin Trujillo
Hi Alexis, I hope you don't mind my using your comments section to ask a question about the school--I couldn't find an e-mail address or link. I toured the school last year, and I think you were there on the tour the same day, if you are the person I recall briefly talking to. I'm so happy you are teaching at Xara now! My question is this: is Xara still there on Estrella and Zion and is it moving? I called the school today to get an update, as my daughter would attend in Fall of 2012, and got an odd message about phone service. Can you point me to any updated information--the website, though wonderful, is a little out of date.
I'm so glad I discovered your blog in a search for some information--your most recent post has me heading off to read some more!
Heidi English
Hi Heidi and Justin,
I have been away from my blog all summer/fall and just found a slew of comments awaiting moderation for me there, including yours inquiring about Xara. I’m so sorry I didn’t see this sooner! Xara closed last summer, and I’ve been busy opening our new school, National University Academy’s Sparrow Program. We opened with K-3rd grade in September and are growing quickly. Our only web presence at the moment is a homely wiki space: http://sparrowprimary.wikispaces.com/, but we’re working on a nice blog/website that should be up and public soon. Check it out and let me know what you think!
I’m the 2nd/3rd grade teacher, as well as the onsite administrator, so my blogging screeched to a halt when I began putting this whole “plan B” together this summer when Xara closed. Hopefully, as things settle more into a routine, I’ll have a chance to get back to blogging again. I miss the writing and connecting with readers.
Cheers!
Alexis
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