In a recent blog post, Nancy Flanagan stoked the flames of debate by questioning the role of competitive athletics in schools. Beware, sacred cow. However, in the interest of full disclosure, I must confess that I believe the
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Score Release
Today’s blog is written for the teachers at my school, across the state and the country awaiting the National Board score release. There is nothing I can say that will make the wait any easier. I remember finding out early
Read MoreGame of Thrones
"When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground." That's what George R.R. Martin writes in his intriguing fantasy series, A Song of Fire and Ice. He writes about a land that is
Read MoreExtraordinary
“The day after the premiere I was walking onto campus and stopped. I stopped and took in the image of Mitchell School. I paused, because in that moment I realized that our little school, Mitchell, was doing something extraordinary- becoming
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Teacher Evaluations: Double Standard?
Recently I started a class on instructional supervision. The reading and content have been very interesting. The topics in class have lent themselves to examining teacher evaluations in a more thorough manner. Lately there has been a lot of talk
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Making Waves
It’s that time again – football season. Last year I referenced Randall McDaniel’s Hall of Fame speech from 2009 in a blog titled Are You A Difference Maker? A few weeks ago I came across a Dov Seidman book, How
Read MoreRiddle Me This Part 2
Who exactly is running public schools? Fellow AZ blogger extraordinaire, Mike Lee, recently wrote a blog entitled Riddle Me This in which he asks "Is there another industry where decision-making is dominated by so many without any experience or advanced
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The Power of One
When I was in the classroom my goal was to make a difference in the lives of my students. Now, that my practice spans an entire school building, I strive to make a difference in the lives of my colleagues.
Read MoreThank You Notes
Today’s blog was inspired by Jimmy Fallon’s book, Thank You Notes. The book is based on his TV show where he expresses gratitude for everything from the slow moving family walking in front of him on the sidewalk to the
Read More“I’m Glad I Got a Young Teacher.”
This was a direct quote from a future teacher as she left my room after her first observation. Directly after hearing this, I was conflicted with emotions. As I am quickly approaching my mid-30s, my vanity was flattered that I could
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