Teaching Limericks
If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry. Let’s have a few laughs then educator friends. I had some time today and was inspired to write about common teacher-y things that we encounter. Relax, it’s not about anyone in particular. Except if…
It’s Been a While
Where to begin? Well for starters, it’s been a while since I wrote one of these. 669 days to be precise. I started this blog back in 2012, wrote occasionally on it for a handful of years, and then it…
Morning Tubs: An Explanation
In 2017 I wrote a blog called “Rethinking Morning Work,” and it advocated for teachers to rethink how we started our mornings with students. I proposed shifting from traditional morning work (worksheets, problem of the day, etc.) to “Morning Choice,”…
S.P.E.C.I.A.L.: A Deeper Dive
I was recently in a fruitful Twitter thread conversation where the use of acronyms were being discussed, and there was a comment from an individual who said that acronyms are “devices to get students through tests, not to prepare them…
What’s Next
Ever since I shared that I would be moving to Greensboro, NC, the number one question I get is “what’s next”? A logical question for sure, and one that I will try to explain below. First, a little history leading…
Ambassador Program
I recently posted a video with one of my 5th grade Ambassadors doing a Greeter training (click link to see the video). This prompted a lot of questions about Ambassadors, Greeters, and how I set this all up. For all…
What Keeps Me Up At Night
Excitement from an awesome day Conversations I had to say. News that elated the entire school News that simply added fuel. An angry moment A sad encounter A scary situation A meaningful dedication. The child who just did the unthinkable…
19 for ’19
For the past four years I have offered up my New Years Bucket List Challenges (18 for ’18, 17 for ’17, 16 for ’16, and 15 for ’15). I’ll be honest, I’m kind of out of fresh stuff, so I…
Break the Script
When you walk into Carley Parker’s 2nd grade classroom, your eye is immediately met by a floor-to-ceiling sized sunflower mural that is glistened by the sun when it peeks through the window blinds. The students have a variety of seating…
