So I show up for work this morning and immediately have to deal with a challenging student. This kid is the typical, “emotionally disturbed” kid who is strategically placed so that if he throws himself onto the floor in an
Read MoreProtecting the Teacher AllSpark
I read Bill Ferriter’s blog this week about the story of Mitchell 20, a movie about 20 Phoenix elementary teachers who chose to pursue National Board certification as a way to take control of the one thing they could control:
Read MoreWhat Parents Really Want to Tell Teachers
Personal Facebook friends of mine know that, from time to time, I post links, blogs and overall feelings about the teaching profession in addition to the usual, daily things like, “Alaina Adams is eating Frosted Flakes right now.” On September
Read MoreToo Cool for School
Maybe that’s enough. These kids that hang around are safe, they aren’t doing anything illegal, they are enjoying each others company, and they are being respectful. We can see them, and they know it. They are choosing to be cared for on some strange level, not by participating in an after-school activity, but by simply being seen.
Read MoreMy Reverse Ark
Do you have any elephants or gorillas in your ark? You might want to consider letting them out.
They’re stinking up the place.
NCLB-Common Core-Value-Added-Limerick-of-all-Limericks
There once was a passionate teacher, Who cheered with her students in bleachers. Then bubble sheets came, "Data management” reigned, And now her students can’t reach her. *Sometimes, a seemingly-nonsensical poem just says thingsbest.
Read MoreWhat Do Teachers and Jersey Shore Have in Common?
One exhausted night at the end of May 2011, I got sucked into a Jersey Shore marathon and began to wonder if teachers could “GTL” like the overly-tanned and overly-paid reality show MTV characters. According to the oh-so-charming Mike “The
Read MoreSB 1070: What It Cost Arizona’s Students?
When the Arizona K-12 Center began this website, I was encouraged to write about how policies impacted my classroom. There has been no other policy that has had a bigger impact on my classroom than SB 1070. In case you
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The Best Way to Appreciate a Teacher
Oscar Wilde has a famous quote about work: “The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one.” I invoked the spirit of this quote as I drove to work this morning, completely not in the mood. Then I imagined the quote with a slight twist: substitute the word “job” for “teacher”.
Read MoreNo Prom For You!!!!
"Student banned from prom for romantic gesture." This was the headline I read earlier this week. Of course, like the rest of America who read an article covering this topic, I was outraged. How could a boy be suspended from
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