Have you ever been punched in the gut by a realization? Have facts ever felt like a jab to your jaw? After a near-knock-out from some upsetting statistics, I was down on the mat. I am lucky to have a
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Powerful 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 MoreDo Scripted Programs Zap The Passion Out Of Teachers
Going on walkthroughs in teacher’s classrooms gives you only a snapshot of what students are learning on any given day, but upon some recent walkthroughs, I realized this snapshot was showing me something else. The learning in classrooms seemed to
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Ms. Corrigan is Having a Baby!
For the last seven years, my classroom and my students have been my babies, and in many ways, they always will be my first babies. However, as of February 11, 2019, I have my first real baby. While I am
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“Do Something Every Day to Follow Your Dream”
For the last year I have been on a journey into the life of a man I did not know, but who has taught me a lot about myself and the history of us as Americans and explorers. In
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Teachers in Transition: A Self-Care Primer
The following was written with gratitude to restorative practices expert, Monica Kaminski. I bet you can name a close colleague to whom you’ve lent a gentle ear as they transitioned to a new professional or personal identity. Maybe they were
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National Board is No Secret Handshake Club
A few years back, a very good friend of mine won a highly regarded award for teaching. Another educational leader joked with me, “well of course she won, she’s an NBCT and you are all part of that secret handshake
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English Teachers Should Teach Grammar. Period.
When I tell people what I do for a living they often express fear that I’ll correct their grammar. I generally don’t— we speak in first drafts, after all—unless they are fellow English majors. I’d like to chalk it up
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Productive and Fun!
The flaw in cash registers and impulse sales is that there is a certain breed of people who get anxiety over the idea of holding up a line. This group may miss out on many pleasures like keychain dolls, witty
Read MoreMy 5 Favorite Curriculums for K-12: #1 Saxon Math
My 5 Favorite Curriculums for K-12: #1 Saxon Math Way, way back in my twelfth year of teaching, I was given my request of beginning a multi-grade classroom at the last moment, after the school year had ended, in the
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