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I Got Out of Their Way
As teachers we become masters of getting things finished. We know what that stop at the grocery store at 10 pm feels like, to pick up one more bottle of soap for the science experiment. We know what...
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What if?
If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard a standardized testing discussion, I could own an island in the South Pacific. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve been drawn into those thoughts and...
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The Kids Who Walk Through Our Doors
We are their school memories. We are the exposure to their biggest passions. We are the candles that illuminate their dreams. We are shaping their futures, day by day. Our actions, big and small,...
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What if Common Core Was Just One Page?
You can’t really walk into any school in America without hearing the term Common Core at least 1,432 times. The document, complex, filled with standards, is supposed to create “common standards” for...
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What We Assume Is Innate
There are things we assume. I did this in my classroom. A lot. It’s probably called the “Blame Game,” but I like to call it being blinded by the things I thought I learned in college. “These kids...
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What are YOU doing for others?
Make sure the day off school on Monday, that many of us around the US have, isn’t just about a day off of school. It’s a reminder, from our past, that we are all here to do something. Ask your...
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Don’t Just Copy. Do the Right Thing.
Click to download. Best print size is 12×18. Tweet
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A Typical Day Should Include Stretching For All
Take a typical lesson, on a typical day, in a typical classroom. We are constantly reaching out to the learners who have fallen behind. Tutoring. Intervention. Extra Time. Small group....
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The Power of a Dream
Today I stood in a room full of kids, discussing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and how he had a dream so big, and so important to him, that he followed his heart to make it happen. We talked about how...
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More Than Outside The Box
After I created this poster, I thought, gee, that poster is overwhelming visually. So many details, crowded together, in so many different styles. Then I realized. It’s finished. This? It represents...
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Questions About Personalized Learning
I love the idea of personalized learning… but it’s left me thinking about some questions that I just can’t answer yet. 1) With this trend in education to post a learning target for the whole class, are...
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A Tale of Two Labels
I want to share a story. It’s the story of two children and their school experiences. Child A struggles. She wears a small leg brace on her left leg due to a bit of cerebral palsy. PE was hard for...
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We Are the Magic Wand
Things we hear a lot of in education…. “Because of Common Core we’re going to…” ”With testing coming up…” “Our schedule says we have to…” “The next chapter in the textbook is…” “It’s time for PD,...
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The Weight of the Word
“You’re so smart!” We’ve all said it. We say it with the best intentions. We mean well. We feel that saying that builds confidence, encourages kids to live up to to their best, and reminds them how...
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Understanding My Heart
There are few people in my life who “get” me. People who get that I need to create, the same way I need to breathe. People who know that within my extreme quiet, so much more is being said. People...
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Catching Joy
My dog always looks so happy. Even here, when she’s about to pounce, her eyes aren’t about to dart away from her target. She has one goal, and she’ll accomplish it. That tennis ball? It’s her joy....
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Better Than Popsicles
I want to share a story. The names have been changed to protect the identity of all parties involved. But, the details are accurate. There was this project that kids were working on, designing a...
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The House of Learning
If learning were a house, it’d be a big, colorful house. Lots of tiny windows, representing curiosity and observation. It’d be covered in big shiny roof tiles, protecting the ideas inside. It’d...
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