“Within every school, there is a sleeping giant of teacher leadership that can be a strong catalyst for making changes to improve student learning. By using the energy of teacher leaders as agents of school change, public education will stand
Read MoreAwaken the Sleeping Giant
“Within every school, there is a sleeping giant of teacher leadership that can be a strong catalyst for making changes to improve student learning. By using the energy of teacher leaders as agents of school change, public education will stand
Read MoreLights, Camera, Take-Action: Valuing Teachers throughout the Year
As I sort through my endless number of email messages, I am reminded that this is the time of year when most school districts will have a special end-of-year ceremony to honor their teachers. My district has an award ceremony
Read MoreTest Talks or Stress Talks?
Yes, it’s that time again. It’s time for the wonderful world of standardized testing. All is a buzz in the teacher’s lounge. Nope. Not really. This year, I feel more stress coming from my little scholars than I do my colleagues.
Read MoreTo Choose or Not to Choose: Debate over School Choice Grows Stronger
Held every January, National School Choice Week is just around the corner. As we approach this date, I can’t help but think of how a single initiative has become one of the most controversial topics in education today. Proponents of
Read MoreThe Broken Teacher
This blog was inspired by Jess Ledbetter’s November blog entitled, Pressures of Teaching: Decreasing our Effectiveness? It’s definitely a serious issue that deserves our attention and further study. There are countless reasons why teachers become highly stressed: high stakes exams,
Read MoreSound the Alarm
Finally, after several attempts, my district’s maintenance and operations budget override passed on election night. Let’s all raise our glasses shall we!! The yes votes tallied 5,018 while the no votes came in at 4,164. Two years ago the MUSD
Read MoreA Fresh Look at Student-Led Conferences
As I was preparing my scholars for student-led conferences last week, I began to recall how anxious I felt when my parents went off to school for the traditional biannual parent-teacher conference. The anxiety I felt was not even rational:
Read MoreGrowing Your Own: Fostering a Viable Mentoring Program
When I left the military, I immediately pursued a career in teaching. When I first began my teaching journey, I did not have a mentor teacher, and even before attending pre-service training, I started working at an alternative charter school
Read MoreDear First-Year Teacher: You are My Hero
I am so proud of you!! You did it. By the time you read this, you would have completed your first day or even first week of school. Much has changed since I completed my pre-service training in 2000. You
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