Insights from Carolyn Nelson, M.Ed.

If you read my colleagues’ recent blogs, you know that we at McMillan have embraced the Fish Philosophy to bring more joy and productivity to our work. As a result, a lot of fish images, fish jokes, and fish stories have filled our inboxes. One recent image caught my attention - it was a fish tank on wheels that was being “driven” by a goldfish.Read more

Every card or letter my mother ever sent me was signed the same way, “Hugs and kisses, Love Mama, A.B.N.” A.B.N. was my mother’s acronym for, “Always be nice”.Read more

It was a love of literature that brought me to education. I was a freshman at the University of CT, following a path to become a physical therapist. Along with a heavy load of science courses, I also took the required freshman English class. I well remember the book, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. I had always enjoyed reading, but something changed for me when I discovered, or maybe first appreciated, the symbolism and commentary below the plot, a true ah-ha moment for me. A year later when I discovered a career in medicine was not for me, I took a semester off, then changed my major to literature. Read more

With students of all ages now having to study at home for the foreseeable future, families are understandably questioning how they are going to survive. With many parents having to work remotely, parents and kids can think of themselves as “in this together!” Read more

We’ve all experienced at least one benchmark test in our lives – our drivers’ license, the college entrance examination, a professional certification test, etc. With a good sense of what would be required to pass the test, we studied and successfully achieved our license or certificate.Read more

Carolyn, Don, and Drew went to Bermuda to meet with families about the opportunities for Bermudian students in America.Read more

We’ve all experienced at least one benchmark test in our lives — drivers license, college entrance exam, professional certification, just to name a few. We approached these tests with a good sense of what would be required for us to master in order to pass or even excel.Read more

I recently had the pleasure of meeting with Alex, an eleven-year-old girl whose parents were wisely thinking ahead about a high school placement for her. In our conversation, mom and dad shared that Alex had become increasingly challenged by school.Read more

I then began talking less and listening more. I got to know them and they came to know me. Some actually would stop to talk with me in the halls, and gradually the leather jackets were thrown over the backs of the chairs and we all began learning. It’s all about trust.Read more