Play the Gratitude Game this Thanksgiving
Late November is by far my favorite part of the year. Celebrating Thanksgiving brings me great comfort and happiness each year. I look forward to food comas, football, and black Friday shopping each...
View ArticleHow to Win the Reticent-Reader Battle: Follow the Process
If you are like most teachers, you have experienced the pain of assigning reading, only to be met with groans or blank stares. One reason for lack of student motivation or apparent inability to engage...
View ArticleMake That List & Check It Twice
This time of year is full of color, life, and social commitments. It is characterized by bustling streets full of holiday shoppers, traditional music, and blinking lights. And although I love this...
View ArticleA Shout Out to the Sisters
As the saying goes, it takes a village to educate our kids, and our national system of education comprises a wealth of public and private schools, both secular and religious, serving students K-12 and...
View ArticleBridge to College: Bullying and Racial Profiling Modules
My Bridge to College course began with the “Juvenile Justice” module as discussed in my September blog. Over the last two months we also completed the module “Bullying” and are in the middle of the...
View ArticleKids Helping Kids
Peer relationships are one of the most important things to a child in school. Humans are social creatures and we crave positive interactions with others. This year I am focusing on ways that I can help...
View ArticleUncertainty, Insight, and Hope: My Personal Journey in Culturally Sustaining...
Had I come across the phrase “culturally sustaining pedagogy” six months ago, I would have struggled to grasp its meaning. As a new teacher 13 years ago, with the help of education sites like Teaching...
View ArticleDon’t Call Us Nerds
Student A: “They just called us a bunch of nerds.” Student B: “Okay but what does that even mean?” Student C: “Well it’s basically a compliment to me, nerds are smart people who don’t get in trouble.”...
View ArticleIt’s Not Just College Admission, it’s about Persistence
What if I said that increasing high school graduation rates was setting the bar too low? Prior to attending AVID National Conference, I wouldn’t have questioned a school setting a goal of everyone...
View ArticleAnother Strong Year for CORElaborate
As 2018 comes to a close, it’s a nice time to reflect on the accomplishments of this year’s Teacher Leaders. In February, we welcomed 18 teachers from around the state to launch the third year of...
View ArticleTeaching Resolutions
Resolute: admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering. How long do your New Year’s resolutions last? Personally, I am notorious for my lack of resolution. My family would characterize me as...
View ArticleThe Arts Learning Standards for Music
I lived and taught in Missouri for years. I achieved my 99-Year Teacher’s Certificate (yes, it’s a thing). I was fully familiar with the arts learning standards in Missouri. Then I moved to...
View Article
