I recently read an online post in which someone described their frustrating year, teaching from behind a screen. They shared that this was a “lost” year for student learning. Yet, I wonder if that’s true. Did our students truly slide
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Supporting First Year Teachers
Next month, thousands of college students across Arizona and the country will proudly move their graduation tassels from right to left, signifying the completion of their degree. This momentous occasion symbolizes their hard work and dedication as they worked toward
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Lessons from Brooks’s Preschool Classroom
Ring, ring. “Hi! This is Mrs. Clark. I am your student’s English teacher.” In my 8th year of teaching, I feel comfortable picking up the phone, calling a student’s home, and saying those words. FINALLY. The act of calling families
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Can We Reimagine Our Profession? I Believe the Answer is Yes!
Little grey boxes with students’ names fill my screen four and a half hours a day. Maybe a few brave souls flip on their cameras for four and a half seconds a day if I am lucky. These little grey
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Four Little Letters: NBCT
Four little letters: NBCT. Four letters that have come to mean so much to me. Four letters recently added to my name: NBCT. Three years ago, I decided to start the National Board Certification process. I knew two NBCTs, and
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The Camera Conundrum: On or Off?
“Mrs. Clark! Mrs. Clark!” shouted a student from across the Target parking lot a few weeks ago. I quickly turned around searching for the owner’s voice through a sea of cars and SUVs. A masked girl wearing a sweater, jeans,
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Rise and Grind? I Think Not…Anymore
Rise and grind. Three little words that have summed my entire life, and I would guess many others as well. As a kid, my parents instilled the idea that we achieved when we worked hard day after day without fail.
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Hello Hybrid! Here We Go!
WEEK NINE! I have survived nearly nine weeks of virtual learning. Honestly, I can’t believe it because it’s flown by. It had not flown by in the typical way a school year does, but nonetheless, it’s the end of the
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To Infinity and Beyond: The Power of Professional Learning Communities
My son, Brooks, discovered Buzz and Woody during the quarantine. I introduced him to the dynamic duo from the Toy Story movies. Since he found these two former enemies and now best friends, we have watched the movies on a
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Simply Put: This is Hard
For the last three years, I have had the honor of blogging for the AZK12 Center’s Stories from Schools AZ. Each month I love having an outlet to pour my thoughts and ideas into. Each month it was easy to
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