As much as we throw around the term teacher leader in education today, I think the term can feel mystical. How does a teacher know s/he has become a teacher leader? Is there a special ceremony? A secret handshake? When
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To Code or Not to Code
In my most recent blog, I showcased one of my scholars, Zach, who has a knack and passion for coding. I also read an article featured in AZ K 12 Center Homeroom, Should We be Teaching Kids to Code? All
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25 Word Stories from Monsoon Season 2018: The Haboob of the New, and What Follows
Header Photo Credit: Sharla Hoff I remember that feeling, being in a haboob before we knew the word “haboob.” Wonderment, trepidation, a lungful of whatever was driven loose by wind. First day of junior high, and families arrive together, parents
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PD for Principals?
There have been two Stories from School AZ blogs focused on principal leadership this year. Beth Maloney writes a beautiful letter about what support teachers are craving in Dear Principal and Jess Ledbetter uses poetic transcription in Administrators: Be the
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Changing the Status Quo: Supporting Millennial Teachers
In a previous post, I made a shocking admission: I am a millennial. This jaw-dropping information may cause some to gasp or even stop reading, but I am proud of my generational status. However recently, my millennial-pride caused me to
Read MoreThe Effects of RedforEd
The 2018-2019 school year started in a new era: post RedforEd. The painted cars, walk-ins, rallies, and walk-out of the spring changed the conversation teachers and the public were having about the state of education. But even after all of
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Unforeseen Reality
An obvious epiphany occurred early in my first year of teaching: I am not going to be the teacher I thought I was going to be. The teacher I envisioned myself becoming never materialized. Over years, I had described,
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Failure Is an Option
Their motions are similar: Wide-eyed, pupils darting from side to side, hands fidgeting, an upturn of a smile only to be replaced by a quick, nervous bite of the lips. They scan the room, looking for both a seat and
Read MoreCoaching Up Not Coaching Out
As I have talked to other teachers and administrators, I find a ‘coaching out’ mentality has seeped into our
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Data – Friend or Foe?
The beginning of a new school year is all about getting to know your new students, showing classroom procedures and rules, making a new friend or two.. right? Wrong. The beginning of a new school year is all
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