My kindergartners are all working productively at their learning stations and the room hums with quiet, respectful discussion. I’m standing in the middle of the room, observing our progress proudly. It’s early in the year to have our routine down
Read MoreI had every intention of writing about back to school, a theme that is being beautifully discussed by my fellow bloggers at Stories from School. But then a proverbial bomb was dropped on the world of professional development in the form
Read MoreHave you ever been faced with the chore of moving your room year after year? It can be tedious, time consuming and difficult, but full of amazing opportunities. This is my fourth classroom move in four years. At the
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Year 6 of 7 in Kindergarten, and the PRESSURE is on. Not the pressure of change, mandates, or parents rather the pressure that consumes me, is the pressure imposed by my students. The pressure to be better than I was the
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Doesn’t it feel as if some of the most powerful stakeholders are trying to undermine our efforts with children? Often, the ones that complain the loudest about a lack of success (as they’ve decided to measure such a thing – inaccurately and on the cheap) are
Read MoreEach year we lose teachers to other positions in the district, other schools or districts, non-renewal and teacher burn out. This year is no exception, but we are approaching the interview process a bit differently. In the past we have
Read MoreThis past year we looked at ways to increase student leadership roles on our campus. One role we created was a Student on Special Assignment (S.O.S.A). Originally six students were selected for this role. Soon after we realized we needed to
Read MoreThis year, I have been participating in the second pilot year of the Teacher Leadership Initiative. This program is a partnership among the National Education Association, National Board of Professional Teaching Standards, and the Center for Teaching Quality. Since August
Read MoreI was so proud of my very first Stories From School blog. It shed light on an interesting subject, related directly to education practice, and allowed readers a glimpse into a topic that was current and relevant. Most importantly, however,
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