Want to know what I’ve been wondering about lately? I want to know if teacher health/wellness is declining amidst the pressure of educational reform today. A few days ago, I was walking behind a colleague and noticed that this person
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When is Enough, Enough?
“Ugh not another test!” That was one of the first things one of my students said to me this morning. In my head, I thought, “You ain’t kidding, kid!” Out loud though, I exclaimed, “This isn’t a test, it’s an
Read MoreThe Small Things
Joey is a junior and, already, failing four classes. We have seen this many times before. The debate always sounds the same: "Joey is lazy." "Wait–maybe Joey is unmotivated" "What's the difference?"
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Everybody Knows
Everybody knows that she’s creative. Everybody knows that she’s got the ideas. Everybody knows. Well, at least the 28 miniature people that surround her know. And, sometimes some colleagues. Sometimes, some parents. But, rarely, policy makers. Rarely, leaders that define her
Read MoreDeconstructing a Teacher Leader Cliché
"Being a patient's not like being a doctor, though, is it? A doctor has to know what's wrong with people. A patient sits there and waits for the doctor to put it right." That line, spoken by a character in A
Read MoreWe Get To Do This Work!
Beginning a new year naturally brings excitement and anxiety among staff and students. Teachers have new initiatives and mandates for which they are required to implement. There is never enough time to plan and prepare before the kids return on
Read MoreAnd I’m baaaaccckkkk!!!!
After a year long "vacation,' I am back in the classroom and I can honestly say that now I know I am right where I belong. But to get to this point of self-awareness, I had to go on quite
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Fortunately
I first learned about the book, Fortunately by Remy Charlip in a professional development about the six traits of writing. The book begins…Fortunately he is invited to a birthday party, unfortunately the party was in Florida and he lived in
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I Went to the Crossroads
I just returned from a road tour of the famous Blues Highway, which stretches from Memphis to New Orleans, with a mandatory stop in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The history was remarkable, the sites stunning, and the eery sense of difficult days
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