My teaching assignment changed this year, about five weeks into the first quarter. Due to a district policy of only counting “bodies in seats,” not enrolled students, our 5th-grade class sizes were huge (36 – 38 students in tiny portable
Read More“The Dream Catcher” or The Girl Who Championed Self Doubt
I’m not sure if she was solving multiplication problems with the Checkerboard or working in Read Naturally when I called her over. I noticed she took a deep breath and had that faraway look in her eyes, but she shook
Read MoreDream On: Stressed Students at the End of DACA
Policies, local and national, shape our classroom practices, our instructional decisions and our interactions with students and colleagues. Sometimes, that connection is hard to see, especially when policies create a culture of silence which makes it difficult to track
Read MoreOn Being a New Administrator
October is National Principals Month. To celebrate, I decided to interview the newest assistant principal at my high school. What a surprise for him! I have known Brady Krueger for a decade; I taught with him in the social studies
Read MoreLet’s Be Mavens
Are you a trusted expert in your particular field who seeks to pass knowledge and truth on to others? Then you might just be a Maven. Are you a person who networks like crazy? – Maven This past summer
Read MoreDo Politics Matter?
I taught civics for over a decade. I took a personal vow to never disclose my political views to any student, to any staff member, or over any social medium. It was important to me that students were able to
Read MoreMy All-Star TOY School
This past week, I sat on the interview panel for Arizona Rural Teacher of the Year. I have worked with Teachers of the Year in the past and I know the quality of teachers they are. In fact, I nominated
Read MoreSummer Love
I love summer. I have been wanting to write about loving summer for weeks! But I have been too busy travelling with my family to Costa Rica, shuttling my kids to swim team, water polo, and football camp, reading novels,
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