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Is This the Hill?

“Is this the hill you are willing to die on?” As a passionate and often stubborn individual, this saying has helped me a lot over the years in personal and career situations. This phrase is used to determine if whatever circumstance or problem is worth standing my ground and possibly losing big! Is this a […]

There is no room…

Observation and reflection are vital in growing in your career and life.  Over the past sixteen years of education, I have spent so much time absorbing everything from technology to classroom management.  My desire has ever been to be the best educator I can be and share my passion for the power of education. Always […]

Let’s Talk About Math

Math talks are an essential way for students to learn and engage with mathematical concepts while building a deeper understanding of their own metacognition. While presenting their ideas and listening to the ideas of others, students are able to develop a deeper understanding of the material and begin to develop other strategies based on their […]

Have You Taught Today?

the first 5 minutes: ignite student learning Excerpt from “The First 5 Minutes: Ignite Student Learning: by Curtis Chandler: I have a teaching colleague who was a very talented track and field athlete back in the day. In one of our recent conversations about teaching and learning, she shared a bit of “sprinter wisdom” that […]

Hope

Hope is a Strong Emotion

As teachers, coaches, and leaders, we should always be careful with our words and actions. We should be setting the example, inspiring them to reach for that next improvement and success. We must look at each of them individually with the goal to help each of them become all around better. If each individual becomes […]

Inquiring Minds

It is essential to learn the proper questions to direct the learning process. Asking questions can help to create an environment of deeper thinking and even more so when the students are the ones that are posing the questions. Have you ever had someone ask the right question?  What I am referring to is a […]

I Had to Swim…I Had to Try

Standing on the dock, I looked across that small lake and thought, “I have to try.”  I did not say a word to anyone around me, held my breath, dove in, and started swimming.  For me, I just had to swim across that lake. That one event from the summer I was thirteen is so […]

Dreaming with Eyes Wide Open

400 Minutes a day. What are you doing with this time? More importantly, what are our students doing? WOW! This quote is where Empower by John Spencer and A.J. Juliani sucked me in. Let that sink in and play that question over and over in your head as you go through the day. What are students doing […]

Remember Them…

I ran across this picture a while back on the internet, and it stopped me in my tracks.  “Remember her? She is still there…inside you… waiting. Let’s go get her! Take a minute and look at that picture and think about a time when you had this look on your face.  What was going through […]

May I Go…

“We’re expected to raise our hands to use the restroom, then three months later be ready to go to college or have a full time job, support ourselves, and live on our own. It’s not logical.” – Kate Simonds   The first time I read the book Innovator’s Mindset was the first time I had ever […]

Get Away from the Shoreline

She was sinking, trapped, fighting to not drown.  How did she get here?  How did she get so far away? Would someone help her?  Could she help herself? She sat there in her classroom looking at that room full of chairs, the curriculum in front of her, and she felt … lost. As an educator, […]

Roots and Wings

This time of year is the hardest for me now that I no longer have a classroom of my own.  The reminders that a new school year is getting ready to begin are everywhere.  At the store, the school supplies are front and center. I have always had an affinity for school supplies! (Maybe the […]

Always Ask

I remember when my kids were little they asked what seemed to be a million and one questions every day.  They were always asking why.  While at the store, they would notice the smallest most obscure things and ask me about them.  I tried very hard not to be in a hurry or bypass those […]

Consumption vs. Creation

Much of society has focused on the students of today as being digitally native. This implies a greater knowledge of the ability to use technology as compared to those of the past. In reality, many of our students are excellent at consuming content digitally. They know how to find information quickly and seamlessly. The issue […]