About the Author
Sharyl, about nine years old
Sharyl Green grew up in the suburbs of southeastern Michigan, following streams through the woods and playing casual games of baseball after supper with the boys in the neighborhood. Her favorite book was Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne.
As the firstborn child in her family, Sharyl’s parents encouraged her to take on responsibility early. She was babysitting for her sister and brother at age eleven when her parents went out in the evening, and her father taught her to mow the lawn with the power mower when she was fifteen. Along with the responsibility came some new freedoms. She was given her own set of car keys the day she got her driver’s license at age sixteen. For high school graduation she got a modern, light blue, portable typewriter and took it to college at Western Michigan University. She got a Bachelor of Arts degree, followed by a Master of Arts degree during her first year of teaching elementary school.
Social justice issues were always part of the conversation in Sharyl’s family. The Civil Rights Movement impressed her tremendously. She read everything she could find about it and worked to be an inclusive person with an open mind.
After six years of teaching, Sharyl spent one year as an Academic Director with The Experiment in International Living (now called World Learning). She led two semesters of college students on semester long study programs in Denmark. There she was very impressed with the design of public outdoor spaces for children. Playgrounds, gardens, farm animals, and a house where children could cook, do wood work and other art projects were clustered together. Children came to work and play after school in programs supervised by an adult. Back in the United States, Sharyl studied a year at the Conway School of Landscape Design, then went on to design play spaces for and with students in school yards, day care centers, and local parks in Vermont.
Sharyl returned to teaching after her son was born. She and her husband delighted in raising a child and juggled teaching and learning with all three people going off to school every morning. Their beloved dog waited for their return everyday and a big outdoor romp.
Sharyl studied outdoors with her students as well as in the classroom. Together they explored the woods, kept outdoor writing journals, learned about geology, river ecology, cultural history and mathematics. Her family was outdoors all the time, too, four seasons of the year.
After more than 30 years of teaching, Sharyl retired to dance, travel, study Spanish, and learn to be a mentor to a woman transitioning out of prison. And all that led to writing this book You Can’t Lock up the Moon.
For more information please email Sharyl: sharylg24@gmail.com
© 2015 Sharyl Green
As the firstborn child in her family, Sharyl’s parents encouraged her to take on responsibility early. She was babysitting for her sister and brother at age eleven when her parents went out in the evening, and her father taught her to mow the lawn with the power mower when she was fifteen. Along with the responsibility came some new freedoms. She was given her own set of car keys the day she got her driver’s license at age sixteen. For high school graduation she got a modern, light blue, portable typewriter and took it to college at Western Michigan University. She got a Bachelor of Arts degree, followed by a Master of Arts degree during her first year of teaching elementary school.
Social justice issues were always part of the conversation in Sharyl’s family. The Civil Rights Movement impressed her tremendously. She read everything she could find about it and worked to be an inclusive person with an open mind.
After six years of teaching, Sharyl spent one year as an Academic Director with The Experiment in International Living (now called World Learning). She led two semesters of college students on semester long study programs in Denmark. There she was very impressed with the design of public outdoor spaces for children. Playgrounds, gardens, farm animals, and a house where children could cook, do wood work and other art projects were clustered together. Children came to work and play after school in programs supervised by an adult. Back in the United States, Sharyl studied a year at the Conway School of Landscape Design, then went on to design play spaces for and with students in school yards, day care centers, and local parks in Vermont.
Sharyl returned to teaching after her son was born. She and her husband delighted in raising a child and juggled teaching and learning with all three people going off to school every morning. Their beloved dog waited for their return everyday and a big outdoor romp.
Sharyl studied outdoors with her students as well as in the classroom. Together they explored the woods, kept outdoor writing journals, learned about geology, river ecology, cultural history and mathematics. Her family was outdoors all the time, too, four seasons of the year.
After more than 30 years of teaching, Sharyl retired to dance, travel, study Spanish, and learn to be a mentor to a woman transitioning out of prison. And all that led to writing this book You Can’t Lock up the Moon.
For more information please email Sharyl: sharylg24@gmail.com
© 2015 Sharyl Green