For Sonya Rashad I didn’t water the plants in front of my porch much last spring, and by June, the Rosemary, Lantana, and a small shrub of unknown species weren’t doing so well. The shrub had exactly one leaf left,
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Administrators: Be The Support We Need
Deep breath in. The beginning of a school year feels like a fresh morning in the mountains: new energy, new students, new staff members. Everyone is busy, but there is hopefulness. It reminds me of standing on the porch watching
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A Fresh Start: New Beginnings with Learning Styles
It’s the most wonderful time of the year is playing in my head right now! I absolutely love the start of a new school year, and after a quite challenging year last year, I am truly looking forward to a
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Room for Reflection: Learning Environments
“Accomplished English language arts teachers carefully and intentionally design and manage all aspects of the learning environment, from the physical space and the physical resources within it, to the movement of people and objects, the personal relationships within the environment,
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Leading in the Wild West
I have successfully completed my first school year. As teachers and staff across the state are returning to the classroom, I am winding down the marathon that is summer life of a personnel director in Arizona. I have conquered the
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Required Reading: What Every Educator Should Read
A social media trend took over this summer. As I scrolled through my feed, my friends began posting their “7 Day Challenges” ranging from books, music, movies, and personal photos. The challenge required participants to post pictures of their seven
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Dear Principal
Dear Principal, First let me say, I don’t envy you. I know your job is a tough one- heavy on responsibility and light on accolades. But after almost twenty years of working with all sorts of administrators as a classroom
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Classroom Management: Consensus on Ends, Not Means
Soon, if not already, many schools will start revisiting their classroom management systems. In his “news” letter (his quotations) this week, Jonah Goldberg provides an excellent jumping off point for these discussions: “[W]e need to return to the idea of ideological and
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Addressing Dyslexia in Arizona, Part 3
As the year ended for my students and me, and we finally received their AZELLA results, I examined the test scores with a mixture of mostly pride in my students’ progress, along with a bit of sadness and a good
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Far Away Look
Wrapping up the school year is always exciting and stressful all at the same time. Regardless of who you are, parents, teachers, staff members – everyone feels overwhelmed. Often times we walk around with a far-away look in our eyes
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