Do you ever feel a bit overwhelmed and frantic? If you are an educator, my guess is you said YES! Sadly, these feelings have become “normal” in our profession. We race around each day with little time to eat or
Read MoreTeacher Leader? Yes, You Are
As much as we throw around the term teacher leader in education today, I think the term can feel mystical. How does a teacher know s/he has become a teacher leader? Is there a special ceremony? A secret handshake? When
Read MoreAdministrators: Be The Support We Need
Deep breath in. The beginning of a school year feels like a fresh morning in the mountains: new energy, new students, new staff members. Everyone is busy, but there is hopefulness. It reminds me of standing on the porch watching
Read MoreNational Board Certification: Improving Teacher Collaboration
What an inspirational and transformative year for Arizona teachers! Many have found themselves speaking on behalf of their students in new ways—bold ways—to advocate for policies and practices that promote educational progress for their students. As I’ve seen teachers step
Read MoreYou Have Changed. Now What?
Epic week, right? And it just keeps going. AZ educators have been on fire, passionately advocating for AZ kids. We have sacrificed time and taken big risks. We’ve been criticized by people who don’t understand what we’re fighting for. We’ve
Read MoreDispelling Three Common Teacher Attacks
As Arizona citizens ramp up the #REDforED movement, social media is blowing up with heated conversation between those who support the movement and those who don’t. I have seen a few common arguments that I will explore in this blog:
Read MoreFamilies: A Call for Unity with #REDforED
So wow: A teacher strike. It’s a lot to take in. No doubt, upcoming school closures are causing families inconvenience and stress. It is difficult to find childcare, rearrange work schedules, and entertain little ones for extra days at home.
Read MoreRestorative Justice: Preschool Style
A few years ago, I attended grad school with a classmate who researched restorative justice with university students. Her research spoke deeply to me, and I fell in love with the idea of asking young people to take intentional actions
Read MoreSubstitute Teachers: Any Warm Body Will Do?
Every teacher knows that a good substitute teacher is like a shiny, gold treasure. These amazing human beings float into our classrooms to take care of our students while we’re absent. Ideally, I want a guest teacher who follows my
Read MoreStudent Led…School Events?
Back in December, I had an amazing, unexpected experience that really shifted my thinking about school events, teacher responsibilities, and student leadership. It all started on a chilly morning before school. I had signed up to help with a school
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