My 4th period government class was winding down. The transition from instruction to classwork had begun. It was then that I heard the timid voice. “Mr. Rios? I don’t think I want to vote.” I froze for a moment. We
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Cameras Off
I am officially starting my 6th week of online teaching through Zoom. Every day, I boot up my laptop, launch my Zoom meeting, and smile at the names of students that appear on my screen in empty black boxes. If
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It’s Time For a Teacher
Betsy DeVos is on track to be President Trump’s least popular cabinet member, with an approval rating of 28%. Many of her decisions have been controversial, ranging from sending a higher percentage of coronavirus relief funds to private schools to
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Reflections
We’ve never done this before! There’s no playbook for this scenario! I feel like we are building the plane while flying it! I’ve heard, and said, all of these statements over the past several months. Living through a global pandemic
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How to get your Students to Stop Trolling
Ughhh, that was tough! That was all I could say as I wrapped up my second week of virtual teaching. The first few weeks have been nonstop: professional development, grade level collaboration, individual Zoom meetings with each student and their
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The Urgency of the Moment
As schools closed in March and Covid-19 silently bullied its way into our daily lives, my bubble shook. I’d spent the previous decade pouring myself into teaching and serving my district community. Then, without warning, I wasn’t to return to
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From a Marathon to a Sprint
As a proud Sun Devil working my way through the Mary Lou Fulton Teacher’s College, I learned about assessments, classroom management, the effects of adverse childhood experiences, and more. When I graduated in 2017, I was excited and felt
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NBCT vs. COVID-19
We are all facing the challenges of COVID-19. Social distancing, face masks, staying at home, and online instruction. So…. is this a good time to pursue or continue with National Board Certification? Honestly, I think yes. It is. When I
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Murphy’s Law
I am writing this blog at the end of what felt like the longest first day of school ever. I will also begrudgingly admit, it was probably my worst first day of school ever. Whatever could go wrong, did go
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Alternate Reality for an Unreal Year
We live in unreal times, but at least we haven’t lost our sense of humor. The most recent meme making the rounds on social networks declares, “I’m not buying a 2021 planner until I’ve seen the trailer.” Still, 2020 is
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