As my scholars returned to school from winter break, we had a great discussion on how they could become more involved on campus this semester. They shared their insights on the changes they wanted to see on campus, and they
Read MoreThe Emotional Quotient of Education
As we start part two of the school year, I am reminded that what we do isn’t always about the rote memorization or the regurgitation of facts. It’s about teaching kids to be good human beings. It’s about instilling values
Read MoreSteve Andre, Rest In Peace
Godspeed Steve Andre. You are missed. Steve Andre joined the Safford K8 family as a social studies student teacher in the late 80s. He then taught for several years at Maxwell Middle School before returning to Safford where he took over our
Read MoreA Jonah Day aka Academic Struggle in High Achieviers
There I stood in my lovely class of 1st – 3rd graders with 29 eagerly engaged students and 3 crying in agony. The cries were not from physical pain, but the emotional turmoil that sets in when we sit in places of discomfort.
Read MoreSomething About Christmas Time
There are days and weeks that as educators we just wash from our minds and as soon as they are over we forget and move on. The first week of school, the last week of school and the week before
Read MoreDestress in Seconds
John Maeda, wanting to write a simple book about keeping things simple, set the goal of limiting The Laws of Simplicity, to 100 pages. Likewise, my goal is to take about 100 words to recommend a powerful, seconds long, de-stressing meditation, that I
Read MoreI’m Fun at Holiday Parties, Really!
Around the holidays, many visitors and holiday party-goers comment on how tired I look. I don’t think they mean this unkindly – it’s true, I do look exhausted this time of year (and many other times throughout the school year).
Read MoreHoliday Tears and Cheers with English Language Learners
There are many moments when I really wish my Spanish was better, and yesterday was one of those moments. It was the last day of the semester, and my introduction level English Language Development class (grade 7 and 8) was
Read MoreLose Your Prep – Skip Some Steps
This past school year my good friend in southern Arizona at a high school I will not name was asked to help out his department. You see they couldn’t find a physics teacher anywhere, but when the new laws
Read MoreGive Yourself the Gift of Letting Go
As a teacher, I believe that I look forward to Winter Break more than my students. Yet, at the same time, I find myself shaking my head at the idea of two weeks of no instruction. This happens every year.
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