Soon-to-be traitor Cassius states “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars / it is in ourselves” in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. I recently threw this quote at my ninth graders while they practiced interpreting
Read More
Emmy’s Treehouse
People always roll their eyes when I tell them I love teaching middle school. “I could never do that. All the hormones. No thank you.” I always laughed it off and responded, “Oh man, could never teach the little ones.
Read More
Let’s Play! Maybe Older Students Need Recess, Too!
Today was the first day of AZELLA testing for my 7th grade introduction level English Language Development class. They were very nervous during the first subtest (Listening), and then we had quite a bit of time to relax. It wasn’t
Read More
Assessment Season: The Perfect Storm
When I teach poetry and literature, I teach my students to analyze the seasons. When we look at spring, we annotate phrases such as “growth, rebirth, renewal, cleansing, pure, and clean.” We talk about Mother Nature and her powers. We
Read More
What a Strange Month February Is
Everyone feels the thrill of the beginning of the school year. We know the anticipation of December and the strange drag that happens in April. Why are there no days off in April? But the real change of school happens
Read MoreInhale Through Your Nose
Inhale through your nose, exhale out your mouth. Breathe in, breath out has become the mantra that has become the backbone of my everyday life. It seems easy right, most days we breathe without even thinking about it.
Read More
Rising From the Ashes
The room is abuzz with National Board candidates and coaches conversing quietly on a Saturday morning. The date is January 25, 2020, and today is my first Coaching Saturday as a coach instead of a candidate. I had been looking
Read More
A Shot in the Arm
Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow. – Anthony J. D’Angelo Registration ✅ Accommodations booked ✅ Transportation arranged ✅ Family and Pets covered ✅ I was off to the Arizona Music Educators’ annual
Read More
The “Goldilocks” Zone
Have you ever quit something after your first time experiencing it because it was either too simple or too challenging? I have, multiple times. In my personal life, the Rubik’s cube immediately comes to mind. Several years ago, I remember
Read More