It is a new school year, and that means we are starting over fresh! New students, new clothes, new friends, new perspective; moving on from the-school-year-that-must-not-be-named. We kissed online learning good-bye, and are fully back to in-person learning. Hallelujah! On
Read MoreWhy do you keep teaching?
Back in 1998 when I graduated from Arizona State University, (Go Devils) I was often asked, “Why do you want to become a teacher?” The easy answer was always that I wanted to make a difference in the lives of
Read MoreWhen Good Teachers Go
At the end of last school year, we all contemplated our future careers in education. My friends and I joked about all the other jobs our teaching skills could be used for and clicked through the want ads when they
Read MoreReady To Learn
Reopening Schools: 5 Strategies for Learning Loss How Should Schools Address Learning Loss? Coronavirus Learning Loss: How Districts are Responding How to Address Learning Loss Due to COVID-19 Addressing Learning Loss in 2021 These are titles of actual articles about
Read MoreI’ll have it all figured out when…..
I have completed the first couple of weeks of the 21-22 school year as I write this. It has been everything that the beginning of school should be: exhausting and chaotic in all of the most familiar ways. We are
Read MoreThe Six “F”s
I can’t believe I actually want “F”s. I saw a Facebook post that had advice for teachers. It was simple, just six “F”s; be firm, fair, friendly, fun, flexible, and forgiving. In kindergarten, I have noticed that I am doing
Read MoreA Little Faith
In typical back-to- school fashion, I had the usual first day of school anxiety nightmare, this time with a COVID twist. I was getting a COVID booster shot only to be told I had never actually received my vaccine, had
Read MoreIt’s All About Perspective
Two years ago I wrote my very first blog for Stories From School AZ. It was a blog about change titled Change: Ready or Not Here it Comes. Up to that point, August of 2019 held more professional changes than
Read MoreMaking Professional Development Relevant: My Experience With Inquiry Based PD
I certified as a National Board Certified Teacher in 2018. Part of the power behind the National Board Certification process is the completely individualized professional development. As teachers work toward achieving certification, the instructional emphasis is laser focused on their
Read MoreSelf-Regulation for Gifted Students
The development of self-regulation is a key outcome of student participation in a Montessori environment. The furniture, materials, student access and manipulation of the environment, and the teacher herself are intentionally prepared for the child in efforts to support full
Read More