There was a quote on my mind a lot during parent-teacher conferences this year: “They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” It’s been attributed to many authors. (You can check out
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Imposter Syndrome or a Humility Check?
Are teacher leaders wizards or masons? The mason throws the mortar and trowels it smooth, lays the brick and taps it level. Each brick contributes incrementally to the wall, which defines the room, and room-by-room the house is built. The mason stands
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Where Did All the Seesaws Go?
When I think back on my school days, my most vivid memories happened on the playground. I remember jumping off the see saw so my friend would fall to the ground. I remember climbing to the top of the jungle
Read MoreOur Glory. Our Darkness.
“You need to put more effort into your math,” directed the flustered fifth-grade teacher to the chatterbox student – who just happened to be me – and who was not chattering about math. In response to the lack of impact
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Taken By Surprise
One joy of parenthood is a surprise from your children. More than once I have come home to a miraculously clean kitchen, or a “restaurant” in my honor. I love it when my kids make big plans behind closed doors.
Read MoreDo Common Core Advocates Lack Historical Context?
“The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” Winston Churchill How can the creators and advocates of the Common Core rationalize locking the profession into years more of high stakes testing, complete with the attendant bullet list of
Read MoreThe Emergency Room
I work in an emergency room. There are no doctors here, no ambulances, and rarely nurses of any kind. I am an educator that finds myself struggling to triage my students’ most basic human needs of food,
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Make Teacher Retention a Ripple Effect
Have you seen or read something lately that engaged you in a ripple effect? So much movement,change and action, all stemming from one “drop.” That ripple effect happend to me after reading this post by fellow blogger Donnie Dicus &
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The Rising Tide: Certification
An education “reformer” floated a proposal to the Governor’s Classrooms First Council that would allow local education agencies (LEAs) to certify teachers independently. The Council agreed that local certification wasn’t a solution and would cause more harm than good.
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