I believe in the sun even when it is not shining And I believe in love even when there’s no one there And I believe in God even when [s]he is silent I believe through any trial there is always
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Hello Hybrid! Here We Go!
WEEK NINE! I have survived nearly nine weeks of virtual learning. Honestly, I can’t believe it because it’s flown by. It had not flown by in the typical way a school year does, but nonetheless, it’s the end of the
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Back to the Future – Where is Doc when you need him?
Think back, ALL the way back, to your first year of teaching. What do you remember? Were you as effective as you hoped to be? I often joke that I want to go back to apologize to those students, as
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Helping Parents Be Less Helpful
I was doing a virtual walkthrough in a Kindergarten teacher’s Zoom classroom. The lesson was on high frequency words. The teacher led the class through her lesson with an energy unique to Kindergarten teachers. She had them working. They began
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Coming Together as One Team
“It’s been crazy, but we all did it together. I’m glad that I was able to help you, and I’m always here if you need me!” This quote came from a text that a coworker recently sent me, and it’s
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Online with a Teacher or In-Person with an IA?
Recently, I had a chance to touch up with a fellow teacher. We did the usual greetings and had a lovely text-based conversation. While discussing staffing, he told me a few things that sent off alarms: “One of his coworkers
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“Until We See Our New Future”
My 4th period government class was winding down. The transition from instruction to classwork had begun. It was then that I heard the timid voice. “Mr. Rios? I don’t think I want to vote.” I froze for a moment. We
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Cameras Off
I am officially starting my 6th week of online teaching through Zoom. Every day, I boot up my laptop, launch my Zoom meeting, and smile at the names of students that appear on my screen in empty black boxes. If
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Why Old People Say It All The Time
(This is an edited version of my contribution to 3Ps in a Pod: An Educational Podcast, Season 7 Episode 12, Dear Me: A Letter to My Beginner Teacher Self, produced by the Arizona K12 Center.) Hey, Well, I said yes to
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Scaffolding across the Digital Divide
Somehow, someway, this semester my students will study the words of W.E.B. Du Bois, Ray Bradbury, William Shakespeare, Octavia Butler, John Updike, and depending on time, a smattering of other poets. But first, we’re studying The Carebears. 9th grade honors
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