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”
Tag Archives: education
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”
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“
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”
Is the lack of YA in school robbing our students?
Censorship of books is not a new concept for teachers. There are always people trying to shield young minds from “inappropriate” ideas. Unfortunately this outrage, while thought to be well intended, is usually made by adults expressing concern about literature read in class because THEY are uncomfortable, not the students. In addition, these objections areContinue reading “Is the lack of YA in school robbing our students?”
The Importance of Diverse Texts
As our classrooms become more diverse, and the varied needs of our students increase, it is important for teachers to use literature to expose students to a variety of cultures and experiences. Unfortunately, as we watch the news, attend school board meetings, or receive feedback from parents, schools are experiencing a great deal of pushbackContinue reading “The Importance of Diverse Texts”
Teaching with Equity 