In typical back-to- school fashion, I had the usual first day of school anxiety nightmare, this time with a COVID twist. I was getting a COVID booster shot only to be told I had never actually received my vaccine, had
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Feelings and Reason: An Introduction to 2021
Last year we played the Hokey Pokey on a district scale. We took the kids out. We put the kids in. We took half the kids out and put the other half in. There was absolutely no consistency to the
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It’s All About Perspective
Two years ago I wrote my very first blog for Stories From School AZ. It was a blog about change titled Change: Ready or Not Here it Comes. Up to that point, August of 2019 held more professional changes than
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Puns & Peace of Mind
This summer, I saw my life unfold on the silver screen — yes, my life has been adapted into a feature film. The flattering part of it was that when it came to casting, the executives at Disney spared no
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The Number Ten
The number ten is significant to me this year. Ten is the number of years my husband and I have been together. Ten is the number of fingers on your hand and toes on your feet. Ten is the birthday
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Kindergarten 2021: Ready, Set, Go!
Kindergarten 2021: Ready, Set, Go! It happens every year. This is my 22nd year of teaching and it still happens to me! The week before school starts, I begin to get anxious. I need to get my classroom ready, my
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Year 35 or Year 1?
Sunday, August 8, 2021, 6:35 AM Tomorrow, Year 35 as a classroom teacher begins with a big change in my professional context. For the first time since Ronald Reagan was president and the Bangles walked like Egyptians (you’ve got watch this), I’ll
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Making Professional Development Relevant: My Experience With Inquiry Based PD
I certified as a National Board Certified Teacher in 2018. Part of the power behind the National Board Certification process is the completely individualized professional development. As teachers work toward achieving certification, the instructional emphasis is laser focused on their
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From a Marathon to a Sprint and Back Again
“As I watch their faces light up when they film themselves over Flipgrid and hear their giggles as I once again forget to take myself off of mute, I feel a sense of calm and remember why I started teaching
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Self-Regulation for Gifted Students
The development of self-regulation is a key outcome of student participation in a Montessori environment. The furniture, materials, student access and manipulation of the environment, and the teacher herself are intentionally prepared for the child in efforts to support full
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