It’s 7:00 am on a gray and chilly Saturday morning and I’m rushing out the door, dressed and coffee in hand. As I kiss my sleepy daughter and husband goodbye, my husband exclaims, “Have fun being a sidekick!” We have
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Don’t Assume
I’ll be honest. I struggle with long breaks away from school because I wonder if our scholars have what they need to be safe. Are they getting enough food? Are they supervised? Are they getting enough rest? Are they engaging
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Online Learning: Building Relationships in the Digital Age
This week, I began teaching an online class. I have little experience in online education. I started my undergraduate degree when AOL still used instant messaging. Online classes were rare; in fact, I think I took one biology lecture and
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If Scholars Ruled the World
As my scholars returned to school from winter break, we had a great discussion on how they could become more involved on campus this semester. They shared their insights on the changes they wanted to see on campus, and they
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The Emotional Quotient of Education
As we start part two of the school year, I am reminded that what we do isn’t always about the rote memorization or the regurgitation of facts. It’s about teaching kids to be good human beings. It’s about instilling values
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Steve Andre, Rest In Peace
Godspeed Steve Andre. You are missed. Steve Andre joined the Safford K8 family as a social studies student teacher in the late 80s. He then taught for several years at Maxwell Middle School before returning to Safford where he took over our
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A Jonah Day aka Academic Struggle in High Achieviers
There I stood in my lovely class of 1st – 3rd graders with 29 eagerly engaged students and 3 crying in agony. The cries were not from physical pain, but the emotional turmoil that sets in when we sit in places of discomfort.
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Something About Christmas Time
There are days and weeks that as educators we just wash from our minds and as soon as they are over we forget and move on. The first week of school, the last week of school and the week before
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I’m Fun at Holiday Parties, Really!
Around the holidays, many visitors and holiday party-goers comment on how tired I look. I don’t think they mean this unkindly – it’s true, I do look exhausted this time of year (and many other times throughout the school year).
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As a teacher, I believe that I look forward to Winter Break more than my students. Yet, at the same time, I find myself shaking my head at the idea of two weeks of no instruction. This happens every year.
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