Teaching an AP class can be incredibly stressful. There is so much content to go over, make sure students are ready for their exam, and don’t forget all the required documents and Supreme Court cases they need to know. I am
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Change: Ready or Not, Here it Comes
I parked in the same lot, walked onto the same campus, and opened the same door I’ve opened for 5 years. But, instead of a strong feeling of familiarity, I experienced a feeling of the unknown. I have a confession
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My First First Day
I’ve been looking forward to this day for years—my first day as Dean of Students. Since my second year of teaching when I recognized the impact that a well-designed system could have on a classroom, I have been pursuing leadership
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Bury The Curriculum
It is the night before the first day of school. You are a prepared teacher. You have great lessons ready for your students. Everything is printed and ready to go. Yet, you still feel worried. What if this math lesson
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A Rainbow Inside the Cloud
During a small group outing to Burton Barr Library, one of my students directed me to “Look up at that, Mrs. Wheelington!” I did, and I saw something I never saw before…a rainbow inside a cloud. I posted a picture
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Teacher Self-Care: Seek harmony as you seek well-being
In Tony Hillerman’s (and since his death, his daughter Anne’s) detective fiction, the Legendary Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee solve crimes, mostly murder, on the Navajo Reservation. Chee follows the Navajo Way, and in many books reflects on
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Do you Open or Close Doors?
As a principal, each year I try to choose a theme or focus to guide our work through the year. Last year we focused on our why and made connections through teaching and learning. This year, as I thought about
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Happy Classroom Community
Having my daughter in fifth-grade last year changed the way I look at my classroom. Her school day started in my partner teacher’s homeroom for math and science and her afternoons were spent in my room for Reading, Writing, and
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#FirstDays with MORE Kids
Some teachers say that class size is everything. What if I told you that my #FirstDays with extra students have been totally AWESOME?!? Don’t stop reading. I’m not crazy. I’ll tell you why extra typical peers in my developmental preschool
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