March 2023 - STORIES FROM SCHOOL AZ

Record and Reflect

March 29, 2023Sarah Kirchoff Education, Elementary, Life in the Classroom

Way back in the Fall of 1994, when I started college, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I took all of the required classes, did my homework, and even had to put in “service hours” in classrooms. I

Social Development is More Important Than Ever (Part 1)

March 28, 2023Yolanda Wheelington Uncategorized

In a time of redefining normal, I believe we have simultaneously developed a deeper appreciation for the reality-based social development within the child. As a Montessorian, we hold that social development is the adaptive work of the child. It is

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Vacation Homework- 10 Lessons Parents can Teach on Vacation

March 27, 2023Sara Mora Parent Involvment

“Hi Mrs. Mora, we’re going out of town next week and I wanted to see if you could gather my child’s work before we leave to have him do while we are on the trip. Thanks!” Have you gotten this

Lasting Impressions

March 23, 2023Rebecca Brinkman Education, Elementary

Ossie Davis once said, “Any form of art is a form of power; it has impact, it can affect change. It can not only move us, it makes us move.” When I was a fourth grader walking into

Pat on the Back

March 22, 2023Rachel Perugini Assessment, Education, Life in the Classroom

Yesterday my students took the ACT. Not only is it a college placement test, the ACT also counts as our state’s required test for the year. It is a lot of pressure on my juniors, but as their English teacher,

Empowering Teachers: A Strategy For Teacher Retention

March 17, 2023Nicole Wolff Education, Education Policy, Life in the Classroom

I thought I knew what my next professional development cycle would be. Then I reviewed the results of a student survey I gave and realized I needed to go in a different direction for my PD cycle. Our administration seeks

A teacher’s Spring Break

March 16, 2023Lynna Schiller Current Affairs, Education, Life in the Classroom

Spring Break – the week of extra naps, family time, adventures, and lesson planning. Wait, what?? Lesson planning? Grading papers? On Spring Break? Unfortunately, yes, this is the fate of many of us. One of my coworkers even joked with

Student Motivation

March 14, 2023Sarah Kirchoff Education, Elementary, Life in the Classroom

It’s March already, and I don’t know about you, but at our elementary school, student motivation is lacking at this time of the year. The old students know that state testing is coming up. They also know that their teachers

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Bringing Culture Into Class

March 13, 2023Lisa Barnard Education, Equity, Life in the Classroom, Science

When I picture my ideal science classroom, I see all of my students’ different perspectives and cultures coming together as we explore the ever changing world of science. I want my students to see themselves in the content we are