It’s 7:00 am on a gray and chilly Saturday morning and I’m rushing out the door, dressed and coffee in hand. As I kiss my sleepy daughter and husband goodbye, my husband exclaims, “Have fun being a sidekick!” We have
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A Jonah Day aka Academic Struggle in High Achieviers
There I stood in my lovely class of 1st – 3rd graders with 29 eagerly engaged students and 3 crying in agony. The cries were not from physical pain, but the emotional turmoil that sets in when we sit in places of discomfort.
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I’m Fun at Holiday Parties, Really!
Around the holidays, many visitors and holiday party-goers comment on how tired I look. I don’t think they mean this unkindly – it’s true, I do look exhausted this time of year (and many other times throughout the school year).
Read MoreGive Yourself the Gift of Letting Go
As a teacher, I believe that I look forward to Winter Break more than my students. Yet, at the same time, I find myself shaking my head at the idea of two weeks of no instruction. This happens every year.
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From the Mouths of Babes
Pick a blog on this site and you’ll see just how important it is that we train and retain a new generation of quality educators; we simply don’t have enough on a national level – and low pay and per pupil
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A Day in the Life of a C School
7:00am The sun just peeks over the White Tank Mountains and onto the field as the boy’s and girl’s soccer teams and coaches begin warm-ups and the cool air fills with music and shouts. Over 1,200 preschool through eighth-grade students
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Society is Shaped in the Elementary Classroom
Renewable Resources Most agree that social justice in America is becoming more questionable. We are a nation drenched in biases, prejudices, and mistreatments. We have a multitude of programs and initiatives aimed at righting these wrongs ranging from the Civil
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Addressing Dyslexia in Arizona, Part 2
This is Part 2 of a three part blog series on addressing dyslexia in Arizona. Part 1 can be found here. The subtitle for this post should be “Call It What It Is.” Where are we today in Arizona policies,
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Days Like Those
Earlier in October, Bryce Brothers shared the blog, Days Like Today. As I read his story, I realized there are days I struggle with similar issues but on a slightly different level. I am pretty sure all educators, regardless of
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The Requirement of Reflection
My teaching assignment changed this year, about five weeks into the first quarter. Due to a district policy of only counting “bodies in seats,” not enrolled students, our 5th-grade class sizes were huge (36 – 38 students in tiny portable
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