Dream vs. Reality: The First Day of School
I have dreamed of this moment for seven years. A fantasy from 11th grade still replays itself in my mind with crystalline clarity: My first day of school as a…
Reacting VS Responding
Yell and sit…sit and yell, get a little louder, be a little firmer…they’ll eventually listen-right? Wrong. I walked into a room recently where an educator was sitting on a bench…
I’m Here To Learn
A little about me in the month before my first year begins To be perfectly honest, I’m nervous about my first year of teaching. I’ve spent the summer reviewing learning…
Recess Is A Right
I posted a picture on our social media of a tweet from the 2006 MN Teacher of the Year Dr. Lee-Ann Stephens that read: Advice to a new elementary school…
Embracing Failure
I am a big fan of mistake making. Well, not the making of the mistakes part so much but of the learning from mistakes, expecting mistakes, embracing mistakes. What if…
4 Ways You Can Take Action As A Teacher
As a teacher I want action. As a teacher I want to be able to tell my students that they are safe at school. I also want to tell my…
What Teachers Want: Are You Serious?
In the wake of yet another school shooting, the government and members of the media are beating a familiar drum: more guns, not less, will put a stop to our…
Every Classroom, Every Day: Rethinking Inclusion
What is Special Education? When I began my undergraduate studies in Elementary and Special Education, I hoped to gain a deeper understanding of how to support students with Individualized Education…
Sharing is Caring? Nope. Sharing Sucks.
Kids need to learn to share. They have to share precious resources with siblings. They have to share with others at school. Sharing is a mainstay topic on Sesame Street. …