#azk12leads Archives - STORIES FROM SCHOOL AZ

High Stakes Testing: Friend? Foe? Neither?

May 11, 2023Yolanda Wheelington Uncategorized

I use to say April belongs to testing as this was the month my district began high-stakes state testing. Now, they start in March and end in May. That means high-stakes testing consistently touches the climate in my class for

Unintended Positive Consequences of Being an ASU ASAP Fellow

February 23, 2023Yolanda Wheelington Education, Elementary, Life in the Classroom

I was so excited to learn that I was accepted into ASU’s ASAP Fellowship. I would finally receive the support and resources I needed to help deliver more meaningful STEM opportunities in my class. I was expecting for this to

Free School Breakfast? Thank a Panther!

January 31, 2023Yolanda Wheelington Uncategorized

The Black Panthers, in my opinion, represent Black independence and autonomy. They impacted my life growing up through education and real-life examples of African Americans who positively impact their communities. In fact, their contributions have positively impacted millions of Americans,

STEM Funding and Support Opportunities

October 8, 2022Yolanda Wheelington Education, Professional Development

We are all aware that we are in the technology era. As a teacher of this era, I recognize that STEM learning opportunities are necessary. It is as important as teaching standard math and language arts, yet many teachers are

Unexpected Student Interests

March 29, 2021Yolanda Wheelington Education, Elementary, Life in the Classroom

We have completed our first full week of in-class instruction. It has been calm and a rather easy transition since we kept the same structure as our online setup. This has been especially necessary due to half of the class

February: Black History Month 2021

January 26, 2021Yolanda Wheelington Current Affairs, Education, Elementary, Life in the Classroom, Social Issues, Teacher Leadership

In the voice of Bishop T.D. Jakes, “Get Ready! Get Ready! Get Ready!” February is Black History Month, and we all know that Black history is American history. Whether you are teaching online, in-person, or hybrid, the events of 2020

Online with a Teacher or In-Person with an IA?

September 28, 2020Yolanda Wheelington Education, Education Policy, Elementary, Teacher Leadership

Recently, I had a chance to touch up with a fellow teacher. We did the usual greetings and had a lovely text-based conversation. While discussing staffing, he told me a few things that sent off alarms: “One of his coworkers

To Nationals and Beyond, Part 2

May 28, 2020Yolanda Wheelington Education, Elementary, Life in the Classroom

Last month, we heard from National Spelling Bee hopeful Xharia W. on how she prepared herself and rose through the ranks. Today, we will take a different angle and hear from her parents on how they support their children to

Montessori Reflections of Online Teaching

March 30, 2020Yolanda Wheelington Current Affairs, Education, Elementary, Life in the Classroom, Social Issues

Today, Governor Ducey and Superintendent Hoffman officially announced that Arizona schools will remain closed for the rest of the school year. I do not think anyone was surprised based on the push for a systemic approach for online instruction that