Today officially ends the first half of my school year and, with that, starts my brain thinking about the new year and new semester. New Year’s Eve brings with it resolutions, and I fail at mine along with half the
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Applying the Principles of “Good to Great” in the Classroom
National Board score releases have come and gone and I was relieved to see the “Congratulations!” banner come across my screen. That was a sweet, sweet moment and I am thankful to all of those who helped and supported
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Caring is the Best Professional Development
Every few years I write that if you pay attention, the best professional development often comes out of nowhere, is free, and lasts only minutes – or even seconds. (You can read the earlier posts here and here.) Here are
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The Other Opportunity Cost of Teaching
I came home in a serious funk, slamming the door behind me, barking at my family, huffing and puffing under the heavy weight of the stack of papers I bring home (optimistically) every evening. I sat down on my bed
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My Favorite Smart Technology: The Mother of All Boards
I am one of the very few teachers that actually have a Smart Board in their classroom! I am definitely grateful. This very expensive mammoth of technology is one of my most favorite tools for student engagement. Now that my
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Making the Most of Time Off
I always go into breaks from school planning to be really productive, but not getting a lot done. I usually spend two days catching up on sleep, television, and cleaning before realizing I’ve accomplished nothing and binge working the day
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Nothing Routine about Routines and Procedures
I recently led a professional development where I asked my participants to think about a classroom that they considered to be the ‘exemplar’ classroom. Many smiled and shared at their tables examples of teachers and classrooms where significant learning took
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Building Relationships: The struggle of an Elementary Specialist
I dread the comment, even though I know it is meant as encouragement. It just rubs me the wrong way. “You’re so lucky you DON’T have to sit through data meetings” or “Wow! I bet you have so much fun!”
Read MoreMOWR…Is 2nd Grade the New 3rd Grade?
Move On When Reading (MOWR) is a policy currently in effect with the intention of preparing students to be proficient readers by 3rd grade so they are properly prepared to enter 4th. This leads to the questions: What is so
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Why Not Have Norms for Email, Too?
Pretty much every staff meeting, PLC meeting, and professional training in education starts by listing the norms by which participants should abide. The idea is keep the meeting focused and efficient. A typical list includes things like equity of voice, responsible
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