Today is my student’s last day of school, and what a year it was. It started a cyber- attack, ended with a pandemic, and exhausted me to no end. It is the end of my 8th year of teaching, and
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The Letter of Resignation I Wanted to Write
It’s hard for me to believe, but after twenty years of teaching, this is my last week as a teacher. I wrote my letter of resignation a few months ago. It was a short, simple statement beginning with my intention
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Look How Far We’ve Come
My first year as an administrator is coming to a close. I wrote a blog post about my first day nine months ago. At that time, I was so nervous. Afraid of the unknown, hoping I didn’t look as terrified as
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Public Schools Matter!
I think COVID-19 has made us aware of things that were taken for granted such as grocery store workers, the freedom to leave your house whenever you wish, having a job, and a teacher’s role in a child’s life. Many
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A Good Me Makes a Great Them
Before planes depart, flight attendants tell passengers, “In case of an emergency, put your oxygen mask on first before helping others.” This intrigues me. I have always thought, “Wouldn’t you want to be selfless and help others around you first, especially children?”
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What’s Your “Better”? Learning How To Move With Change
The last month and a half has been a sea of constant change. I recently re-read Who Moved My Cheese? by Dr. Spencer Johnson. It’s my go to read when I’m forced into unexpected and unwanted change. It reminds me
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To Nationals and Beyond!
Back in April, before COVID put the breaks on all things normal, I had the opportunity to interview the dynamic bundle of intellect and inspiration that is 14-year old Xharia W. Xharia, an 8th grader at Shaw Montessori in Phoenix,
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The Long Goodbye
This is dedicated to the Basha High School Class of 2020. My sweet, smart, empathetic, hilarious, amazing senior class. You will forever have a place in my heart. You made me love teaching at a time where it was almost
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Six Feet Apart
I spent this past weekend recreating, cutting, and mailing invitations to my sister’s socially distant baby shower. In our three months of planning, it has morphed from a typical party of baby themed games to a drive-by wave at the
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Reflections of a Teacher Saying Goodbye
As my twenty-year classroom teaching career draws to a close, I feel the need to share my reflections and important things I’ve learned. There is nothing more important than classroom community. First and foremost, classroom community affects student behavior. It
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