Narcissistic, sociopathic, obsessive compulsive, oppositional defiant, bipolar, passive aggressive, depression, and anxiety. That could be my characterization of this year’s presidential candidates and my state of mind when I think about it. But not quite. Rather, I’m referring to mental health conditions from which
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Wrestling with Myself
Marcus Aurelius said, “The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing.” No time of the school year feels more like wrestling than testing season. Between analyzing benchmark results and the looming high-stakes tests, it feels like the perfect
Read MoreTeacher Leadership—What is it?
A few weeks ago I had the great honor to sit at the table for a friend’s dissertation and learn more about teacher leadership and explore options for what that might look like in different schools. She talked about creating space
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Who Benefits?
For those who know me, I am a pretty big comic book nerd. I have been buying comics since I was 7 years old when my dad gave me his old collection of Batman, Superman, and Justice League comics. Identity
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Fundraising Frenzy
A few weeks back, an energetic (slightly manic?) presenter pitched our school’s most recent fundraiser at our quarter assembly. Students would sell overpriced frozen meats, and for every 1,000 sales (or something), the company would send a family of four
Read MoreThe Lawmakers’ Hands Were Shaking
A couple of weeks ago I joined members of our local union in Phoenix to meet and talk with state lawmakers. During this event I had a chance to learn about current education related bills from the union’s lobbyist, hear from several legislators
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The Conundrum of Cursive
Does cursive handwriting have a place in today’s schools? That depends on who you talk to, but I say yes, it does. You may be thinking, “Typing skills are needed in the real world.” Yes, of course, but one skill
Read MoreAnti-Bullying Efforts in the Era of “Government by Tantrum”
A few years ago, I posted a blog asserting that adults need to consider the example they set as it pertains to bully-like behavior. I discussed examples of actions that we expect to be curbed by school administration and staff,
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Hear Us Through Poetry—We Need Collaboration Time
In October, I wrote about how much teachers need time for professional conversations with colleagues. It’s been on my mind a lot this year because I keep hearing teachers talking about how their professional development time is governed by “other”
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Split Vision
In many ways, teachers are masters of split vision on a micro scale. Have you ever seen a first grade teacher successfully run independent literacy stations? What about an ELL teacher hold a Socratic Seminar? How about a middle school
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