My wish for the next group of elected state officials is to adopt a growth mindset when you take on your new roles. But even more specifically, my hope is that this new crop will adopt a growth mindset
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10 Weeks In
The week before break. Nothing prepares you for the week before a break. Not your graduate or undergraduate courses, not attending in-service learning, nor engaging in webinars. You run on adrenaline, navigating in and out of exhaustion, trying your best
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And Today’s Word is …?
Based on how often the Arizona K12 Center features topics related to the stress of teaching on it’s 3P’s in a Pod podcast and its Homeroom page, I thought I might share a new self-care technique I discovered a while
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Friends Don’t Let Friends Commit Educational Malpractice
My former assistant principal and all-around amazing human being, Molly Garcia, taught me about the importance of teachers undertaking a deep dive into brain research and why teachers need to understand how the brain learns. She taught me that if
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Frantic or Calm? Make It Your CHOICE
Do you ever feel a bit overwhelmed and frantic? If you are an educator, my guess is you said YES! Sadly, these feelings have become “normal” in our profession. We race around each day with little time to eat or
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All We Need is Love…
In these turbulent times, I was really inspired by the Az K-12 Homeroom article entitled, “Spreading Kindness in the Classroom.” Now, more than ever, teaching our young people civility inside and outside of the classroom is paramount. Throughout my many
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Public Schools as Infrastructure: Literally Rescuing Our Communities
Taking off out of Sky Harbor a couple of weeks ago on an early morning flight, I was struck by the clarity of the morning, and the beauty of the valley. Normally, I do not think of Phoenix as being
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Where are the Teachers?
This was going to be the year: the year where classrooms were going to be filled with certified teachers. Arizona, like many states across the country, relies on alternative certification allowing for teachers to earn their credentials while teaching. These
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Using My Teacher Voice
Last year I participated in our statewide teacher walkout. This experience changed my perspective in a myriad of ways. Marching to the capitol with thousands of teachers, administrators, parents, students, and supporters is one of the most memorable moments of
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Students in Motion
At the start of school this year, I started videotaping lessons for my National Board pursuit. Initially there was a lot of annoyance over how my voice sounded and how much I played with my hair, but then I started
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