Some of us are ending our second week of school, while others are still putting up fadeless paper and anxiously waiting for our class list to be placed in our mailboxes. Either way the season of going back to school is
Read MoreTales of the Fourth Grade Blessings
The first week of school is winding down and I am utterly exhausted. My feet hurt and my head continues to ache as I try to wrap my mind around 10 new policies/technologies my district has adopted. I am still
Read MoreSitting… Waiting… Wishing…
Sitting… Waiting… Wishing… Think about our students, the students in your class, are they sitting, waiting, wishing? In the publication The Teachers of 2030, Barnett Berry’s statement, “The rules and tools of the No Child Left Behind Act have reinforced
Read MoreBobblehead Begone!
I encourage risk taking from day one with students. I dare them to try new things and to experiment with the unknown. Yet, during my first five years as an educator, I avoided being a risk taker in a way.
Read MoreHappy 2010-2011 School Year!
Happy 2010-2011 School Year! It is a Friday evening. I look out the front door and notice the color – twilight blue. The sun set several minutes earlier, and I am cooled by just looking at the sky. In a
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Leave a Light on For Me
Legislation, budget cuts, propositions, neighborhood walks, phone banking, Reduction in Force (RIF) notices, political action, national standards, evaluation, accountability. What do all of these words and phrases have in common? They have all been heard by teachers during their
Read MoreThe (High) Cost of Teaching
Every August, I have two major worries. First, I worry about the students. Will they be well-behaved? Will they have basic skills like letter sounds and addition mastered? Will they need intereventions? Will I connect with them easily? These worries go
Read MoreHello, Market. You Have Some Explaining to Do.
I would like to set the record straight, in advance. I’m not a “hater.” I am not a jealous person, except when it comes to my envy of those who can enjoy an ocean cruise without vomiting. I understand the
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