Have you backed up your work lately? Because I hadn’t. And in the blink of an eye, all of it was gone. Quizzes, reading materials, practice grammar assignments, my final exam from last year, current data I had compiled- all
Read MoreThe Best Part
Teaching is a difficult job full of tough days and challenging students, so I try to focus on the good stuff: the lesson I planned that went perfectly, the student who says that I am their favorite teacher, the moment
Read MoreWhen Tests Matter
Last April started the dreaded month of state testing. A month is not an exaggeration either—my juniors took the ACT and the writing AZ Merit tests the first week, the reading test for 2 days the next week, and finally
Read MorePowerful P.D.
As teachers, we go to many professional development opportunities. Tons of our hours are spent each year learning to be better teachers, so we know the good trainings from the bad. The good trainings remind of us why we decided
Read MoreA 30 Day Update
Instead of a resolution, I started off the New Year with a 30 day challenge. You can see the details of my challenge and start your own here: http://www.storiesfromschoolaz.org/setting-resolutions-30-day-challenge/ Now that my 30 day, no email challenge has finished, the
Read MoreSetting Resolutions: A 30 Day Challenge
Today officially ends the first half of my school year and, with that, starts my brain thinking about the new year and new semester. New Year’s Eve brings with it resolutions, and I fail at mine along with half the
Read MoreMaking the Most of Time Off
I always go into breaks from school planning to be really productive, but not getting a lot done. I usually spend two days catching up on sleep, television, and cleaning before realizing I’ve accomplished nothing and binge working the day
Read MoreA Snow Day Solution
When I moved from Pennsylvania to Flagstaff, I spent a good deal of time explaining to my friends and family that yes, it does indeed snow in Arizona. As we gear up for winter in the mountains, my thoughts have
Read MoreStudents in Motion
At the start of school this year, I started videotaping lessons for my National Board pursuit. Initially there was a lot of annoyance over how my voice sounded and how much I played with my hair, but then I started
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