Tag : “community”

Holiday Tears and Cheers with English Language Learners

December 23, 2017Amethyst Hinton Sainz Life in the Classroom, Love, Social Issues

There are many moments when I really wish my Spanish was better, and yesterday was one of those moments. It was the last day of the semester, and my introduction level English Language Development class (grade 7 and 8) was

It Takes a Village

November 11, 2017Leah Clark Education, Life in the Classroom, Mentoring, Uncategorized

No, my family is not a family of teachers. In fact, I am the only teacher in my family! When I decided to leave a nearly decade-long career in luxury retail to become a high school English teacher, my family,

photo credit: Chris Kealy (Day)Dream Catcher via photopin (license)

“The Dream Catcher” or The Girl Who Championed Self Doubt

October 23, 2017Yolanda Wheelington Assessment, Education, Education Policy, Elementary, Life in the Classroom, Love, Mathematics, Mentoring, Professional Development, Social Issues, Teacher Leadership, Uncategorized

I’m not sure if she was solving multiplication problems with the Checkerboard or working in Read Naturally when I called her over. I noticed she took a deep breath and had that faraway look in her eyes, but she shook

Example of an active and prepared Montessori classroom.

Organized Chaos aka The Prepared Environment

September 6, 2017Yolanda Wheelington Assessment, Education, Elementary, Life in the Classroom, Professional Development, Social Issues

Am I ready? Before students enter the class from the first day of school to the last, it is the goal of most teachers to have the classroom ready and prepared to receive them. In addition to being functional,

Neighborhood Knowhow: The Story of an Hour

August 31, 2017Leah Clark Current Affairs, Education, Elementary, Life in the Classroom, Social Issues

As we climbed into the dusty school van, I wondered what the next sixty minutes held. My assistant principal jumped behind the wheel while my principal settled into the front seat as the new teachers, myself included, climbed into the

Where I Live

February 16, 2017Beth Maloney Education, Elementary, Parent Involvment

Like Oscar Wilde, I learned in elementary school that it was only in the theater that I lived. I was one of the kids who found a home in the sharp contrast of the blinding stage lights and the inky

Open Letter to Principals Who Stayed

October 17, 2016Amethyst Hinton Sainz Current Affairs, Education, Education Policy, Professional Development, Teacher Leadership

The following letter is written to all school and district administrators who have stayed for four years or more and worked tenaciously for school improvement. Dear Leaders, Thank you. Thank you for staying put for a few years and leading