Dear Principal, First let me say, I don’t envy you. I know your job is a tough one- heavy on responsibility and light on accolades. But after almost twenty years of working with all sorts of administrators as a classroom
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Classroom Management: Consensus on Ends, Not Means
Soon, if not already, many schools will start revisiting their classroom management systems. In his “news” letter (his quotations) this week, Jonah Goldberg provides an excellent jumping off point for these discussions: “[W]e need to return to the idea of ideological and
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Addressing Dyslexia in Arizona, Part 3
As the year ended for my students and me, and we finally received their AZELLA results, I examined the test scores with a mixture of mostly pride in my students’ progress, along with a bit of sadness and a good
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Far Away Look
Wrapping up the school year is always exciting and stressful all at the same time. Regardless of who you are, parents, teachers, staff members – everyone feels overwhelmed. Often times we walk around with a far-away look in our eyes
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National Board Certification: Improving Teacher Collaboration
What an inspirational and transformative year for Arizona teachers! Many have found themselves speaking on behalf of their students in new ways—bold ways—to advocate for policies and practices that promote educational progress for their students. As I’ve seen teachers step
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Keep Calm and Click Submit: Tips for NBCT
Wednesday, May 16, 2018 was a historic day in the Clark household. No, we didn’t buy a new house or bring a baby home. In fact, most people outside of education probably have no idea what I am talking about.
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Welcome to the End: An Exercise in Reflection
The end is almost near and what a year it has been! As teachers, we graded thousands of assignments; we taught our scholars important life lessons and witnessed their friendships blossom; we watched and experienced the beauty and innocence of our scholars
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Reflections
My 18th year of teaching is ending. Our desks are empty and stacked against the wall, my bookshelves are covered with butcher paper, and I have 5 mere hours to entertain my almost-sixth graders before we say our goodbyes. I’ve
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Should School Ratings Matter?
I started my Mother’s Day doing the unthinkable…arguing with my mother. She had sent me a text stating she felt bad for a high-performance charter school that took a full page ad to defend itself against all the bad press
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