New Beginnings After two decades in administration, I am back in the classroom as a full-time teacher. Those 20 years weren’t entirely spent in administration. In my first administrative position I served as a department chairperson with a teaching load of two classes, and then there was a school year I spent as an elementaryContinue reading “Reflections from the Classroom”
Author Archives: Michelle Davis
Lessons from Star Wars
Moving Past the Ancient Texts In episode 8 of the new Star Wars movies, we meet a sullen Luke Skywalker who has banished himself to a remote planet because of his failures as a Jedi master. Rey, after finding the correct map, seeks out Skywalker to train her in the ways of the force. Luke,Continue reading “Lessons from Star Wars”
Filtering Through The Noise
So many have said that 2025 is off to a crazy start. And they are not wrong. New leadership in the White House, wildfires in California, and airplanes literally falling out the sky. It sounds like the beginning of a disaster movie, or reminds me of the YA book The Giver when they explained whyContinue reading “Filtering Through The Noise”
Lessons from Star Wars
Creating Affirmative Spaces I’m a child of the 80’s that loves Star Wars. The original moves. Episodes 4-6: Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. I’ll tolerate the prequels because they serve a purpose and appreciate episodes 7-9, but mostly I love the characters and messages from the movies. Princess Leia wasContinue reading “Lessons from Star Wars”
Thinking about the Pandemic
Four Years Later Do you still feel like the pandemic was a blackhole we fell into where time and space seemed to get lost? I feel like it’s easy to delineate before the pandemic, but still wonder when exactly we moved to “post pandemic?” At this time four years ago we had no idea howContinue reading “Thinking about the Pandemic”
Building a Writerly Life
In February over President’s weekend I was able to experience a writing retreat hosted by Leaf and Pen. I’ve spent a lot of time over the last year thinking about building in time and practice for writing. After all, I started this blog over two years ago, often come up with ideas for content, andContinue reading “Building a Writerly Life”
Book Talk: YA Books Featuring Creative BIPOC Students.
Book can help students image themselves doing things they never thought they could do. In the titles below, your students can see themselves as writers, capable of sharing their gifts with the world. Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant is about writer, Tessa Johnson. Tessa only shares her stories with her BFF Caroline. After herContinue reading “Book Talk: YA Books Featuring Creative BIPOC Students.”
Understanding the Reading Wars
Why are there so many struggling readers? Since the pandemic, schools have been engaged in conversation about learning loss and the impact of virtual learning on our students. Federal and state governments provided funding for schools to combat this loss and close the gap. Over the last year, the dip in NAEP scores led to an outcryContinue reading “Understanding the Reading Wars“
Continuing the Journey
The last time I posted on this blog it was the spring of 2022. I didn’t realize it had been that long, but as we begin a new year we often take time to reflect on what has been. For me, this writing interruption was related to personal events that forced me to breathe, reflectContinue reading “Continuing the Journey”
More than Thoughts and Prayers
Again this week we started a school day in the wake of a school shooting. On Tuesday, May 24, 2022 the sanctity of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas was shattered when an 18 year old entered the building with a semi-automatic gun killing two teachers, nineteen students, and terrorizing this small community. These eventsContinue reading “More than Thoughts and Prayers”
Teaching with Equity 