Taking off out of Sky Harbor a couple of weeks ago on an early morning flight, I was struck by the clarity of the morning, and the beauty of the valley. Normally, I do not think of Phoenix as being
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The Educated Voter…Midterm Elections 11/6/18
One lesson that I think all educators across the valley can agree with is that it is critical for us to stay informed and involved in our legislative process. I think we also learned that in order to do this,
Read MoreMemorization is NOT a Four Letter Word
The start of a new academic year had materialized, and I decided to start it off right. I asked myself “What is something that will make a big positive impact in my class right away?” The answer came quicker than I thought it
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Required Reading: What Every Educator Should Read
A social media trend took over this summer. As I scrolled through my feed, my friends began posting their “7 Day Challenges” ranging from books, music, movies, and personal photos. The challenge required participants to post pictures of their seven
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Clarity through Focus (Part 2) and #RedforEd
What I discovered at our school was something that we already knew: Although we are an urban-based public school within a district with issues mirroring the nation, we had little to no annual teacher turnover. Our students return to a
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Hitting the Like Button: Using Social Media to Grow an Online Community
I joined Facebook in 2002 when you had to have a college email address to sign up for the social media site. Each day I checked my account in anticipation of the new friend requests I received. Over the years,
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When the Political is Personal, and the Personal is Political
I think many of us have had conversations in schools, in neighborhoods, and around towns lately regarding the #RedforEd movement. As I became a National Board Certified Teacher, I learned that it is my responsibility and privilege to advocate for
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Four days. Three nights. Sixty students. Ten Teachers. One Million Smiles.
I returned home two weeks ago from Vikingtown, a diversity and leadership camp. The four days, three nights with sixty students and ten teachers created one million smiles. This was my first Vikingtown experience and I had zero clue what
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We Are More Than Dr. King
I was blessed to grow up in the rich African American (Black) culture that resides in the Washington, D.C. area. I saw our good and bad, our strengths and weaknesses, our beauty and shame wherever I looked. I was secure…I
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Online Learning: Building Relationships in the Digital Age
This week, I began teaching an online class. I have little experience in online education. I started my undergraduate degree when AOL still used instant messaging. Online classes were rare; in fact, I think I took one biology lecture and
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