Dear New Teacher, Welcome to the profession! You may be looking around your first classroom and thinking, “When did I become a grown up?” I was 20 years old when I was handed my first classroom keys and 24 five-year-olds.
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Unlock Your Brain: Use Proactive Language
So I think I’ve discovered a simple but important life hack this week: focusing on my freedom to choose and proactive language. It’s a simple twist in thinking and self-dialogue that has been making a big difference for me. I
Read MoreMy Favorite Things
“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens Brown paper packages tied up with strings These are a few of my favorite things” It’s that time of year again; the beginning of another school
Read MoreDear First-Year Teacher: You are My Hero
I am so proud of you!! You did it. By the time you read this, you would have completed your first day or even first week of school. Much has changed since I completed my pre-service training in 2000. You
Read MoreYes, Never, and “Meh.”
In my prior post, I assigned you homework. And, no, you may not be excused to use the restroom at this particular moment – I’ve used that trick a thousand times and know it well. Nice try, though. If you found
Read MoreOur Love, Hate, and Sometimes Hypocritical Relationship with Assessment Data
Look at the following statements, and consider your level of agreement and whether or not a potential scenario exists where you would make such a statement. Think of each as it relates to the latest iteration of high-stakes testing in your context.
Read MoreWe Can’t Afford to Waste The Moments
Impact happens in the moments between everything else. Often, we don’t even recognize the opportunity that just came and went – but, the strength of our relationships allow those moments to impact lives for the better, rather than to simply become
Read MoreTeaching to the Test (or Not)
I know I have written about this topic before, the relationship between standards and standardization, instructional innovation and teaching for creativity, and standardized tests, but I am going to take another go at it, because this year I changed levels
Read MoreI Wish You Knew…
Earlier this spring you may have seen the post, “Students share what they wish their teachers knew.” This article hit at just the time we were losing energy and struggling to keep our momentum moving forward. So we flipped the
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This is the True Story ……
This is the true story of 6 teachers in Arizona. Find out what happened to them when reality stopped being nice and teaching got real. Kellie Walsh has been in education for 16 years. She has a vast amount of
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