In the light of COVID-19 concerns, the familiar juxtaposition of professional athletes’ salaries to teacher pay takes on a new context. Why is every public event I can think of cancelled in every community I know, while many districts will
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What Happens When We Get to College, Mrs. Clark?
One of my favorite aspects of being a teacher is talking with the kids. Just talking. Asking them questions about themselves, their friends and families, hobbies, other classes, after school activities, and future plans. I sit back listening as they
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What Makes a School Great?
I drove by my school at 6:30 pm Sunday. Teachers and staff weren’t due back until Monday morning, but my school buzzed with the enthusiasm of a Friday night football game. Pop up tents, propane firepits, camping chairs and tents,
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Raising Student Voice through Inclusion
P-A-R-T-Y! Party! Party! Party! Where is the party? The party’s over here! Does this chant ring a bell? It does for me. It’s a popular chant at every Student Council event. The kids chant it back and forth across the
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Story from the School Garden
In 2008, Lisa Moberg, now an NBCT and once a blogger for Stories from School Arizona, was teaching on a third grade team in a West Valley Title I school. The team had heard about the Western Growers Foundation grants
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Every Teacher Needs a Champion
Five years ago, I left my familiar junior high school to move to a new district and a new grade level. I was excited for a new challenge after teaching the same thing for 11 years and felt confident because
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Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years? Fifteen years?
“Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years? Fifteen years?” This classic question is asked by potential bosses in interviews frequently. Interviewees often provide a bright description of their future advancing up the ladder, taking on more responsibility,
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Get Selfish and Avoid the Burn Out with Teacher Self-Care
Self-Care: any necessary human regulatory function which is under individual control, deliberate and self-initiated (Wikipedia) This hot buzz word graces Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook in memes and posts as a way to cope with the wild world we live
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Sparking Joy: Marie Kondo in the Classroom
If you haven’t had the absolute pleasure of watching Netflix’s latest phenomenon, you simply must find the time to watch Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. One lazy morning during maternity leave last month, I happened to click on it, and
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My To-Do List: A Peek Into a Teacher Leader’s Week
The simple fact that this is my second “list” blog post in a row should tell you something. No matter how many hours I am putting in at home right now, there do not seem to be enough. Teaching is
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