A few weeks back I was chatting with a gifted education specialist in our district, an excellent teacher my son was lucky enough to have in elementary school. I asked him some questions that had been in the back of
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My To-Do List: A Peek Into a Teacher Leader’s Week
The simple fact that this is my second “list” blog post in a row should tell you something. No matter how many hours I am putting in at home right now, there do not seem to be enough. Teaching is
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A Holiday Wish List for ELD Equity
It’s that time of year when the child within us develops a dreamy, far-off look, and her eyes begin to gleam. Sugar plums? A Red Ryder BB gun? A new laptop? A roof rack and two kayaks? Creating a holiday
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Riding the #EdWave and Diving Deeper into Teacher Leadership
Last spring, when 70,000 teachers flooded the Capitol to make five demands known, there were as many leaders as followers. Educators flexed the bullhorn, organized a band, wrote initiatives, arranged meetings with lawmakers, trained people to circulate petitions, set up
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Public Schools as Infrastructure: Literally Rescuing Our Communities
Taking off out of Sky Harbor a couple of weeks ago on an early morning flight, I was struck by the clarity of the morning, and the beauty of the valley. Normally, I do not think of Phoenix as being
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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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Room for Reflection: Learning Environments
“Accomplished English language arts teachers carefully and intentionally design and manage all aspects of the learning environment, from the physical space and the physical resources within it, to the movement of people and objects, the personal relationships within the environment,
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Addressing Dyslexia in Arizona, Part 3
As the year ended for my students and me, and we finally received their AZELLA results, I examined the test scores with a mixture of mostly pride in my students’ progress, along with a bit of sadness and a good
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Five Things I Learned in the Red for Ed Movement
Over the past six weeks or so, I have served as site liaison for Arizona Educators United as the Red for Ed movement evolved from t-shirt activism to an unprecedented statewide walkout of Arizona teachers. It has been an intense
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Having ESP: Why I am Red for Techs
When we were kids we used to joke about having ESP, extra-sensory perception. We thought it would be a blast to be psychic, read people’s minds and look into the future. Now, as a junior high teacher, I am often
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