This year, I made the decision to stop playing around and start making Spanish my second language. I currently teach grades 4-5 and my motivator was watching my Spanish speaking students work harder than their peers due to language barriers.
Read MoreSwitching Gears for the Holidays
December is here! The children are high energy and excited. Families are busy. School schedules are tight. This is the time that I give in to the pull and switch gears so that we can all get through health and
Read MoreThe Cape: Option 3
In my previous post, The Cape: Deny or Accept, I discussed the conflicting emotions I had after reading the EducationWeek articles High Teacher Expectations Boost Long-Term Student Outcomes (Madeline Will, 2022) and Why One Principal Is Asking Her Staff to
Read MoreThe Cape: Deny or Accept
I was looking through EducationWeek (digital edition) when two articles gained my attention: High Teacher Expectations Boost Long-Term Student Outcomes (Madeline Will, 2022) and Why One Principal Is Asking Her Staff to Do Less (Crystal Thorpe, 2022). As a teacher, I
Read MoreYou Want It, You Make It
One thing that I intentionally make a part of our class culture is student ownership of our environment. In a time when children’s contributions are minimized, the classroom is one place where they can expect to have something to offer.
Read MoreSTEM Funding and Support Opportunities
We are all aware that we are in the technology era. As a teacher of this era, I recognize that STEM learning opportunities are necessary. It is as important as teaching standard math and language arts, yet many teachers are
Read MoreWe Started at the End…Now We’re Here (Pt. 2)
August 3rd was here! Our first day back and I already had two Montessori Student Teachers observing our class. They had a specific request to see how to start the first day of school. I gave them some history of
Read MoreWe Started at the End…Now We’re Here ( Part 1)
Our Last Day = Our First Day (the big setup) It was going to be a short week and we were all grateful! After returning to school full time with COVID restrictions and limitations, we were all ready for summer
Read More365 Days of Me, Part 2
In “365 Days of Me, Part 1″, I shared my plan to reconnect with myself over the next 365 days. So far, my plan includes a healthy body and a healthy spirit. Here is the rest of what I will
Read More365 Days of Me, Part 1
This year has been INCREDIBLE!!! My school went back to in person instruction after 18 months online. I took over an Upper Elementary mixed-age class of drama-starved preteens from a retired teacher. There was a lot that went into preparing
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