Some of the best advice I ever received as a teacher is to make an honest effort to see things from my students' point of view. This includes sitting in each chair when setting up the classroom to experience the feeling of the kid in that seat, going through the academic activities and assignments I… Continue reading Empathy (and Why We All Need Some)

My Dear Students, I am still out on maternity leave, but even from home, I know that we are in testing season and that testing season can be so very stressful. You see, all year your teachers have been doing their best to prepare you for all kinds of things: the next grade level, life… Continue reading An Open Letter to My Students (Past and Present) on Standardized Testing

Recently, my three year old informed me on the way home from school, "Mom, I can't WAIT to be a grown up because when I'm a grown up, I can go fishing and bear hunting (what?? I promise we are not bear hunters...) and go to work!" At first I thought, what a cute thing… Continue reading On Patience (and My Lack of It)

Writing is good for the soul, so I decided to start a blog. Some people craft (nope, but oh how I wish I had some crafting sense), or play a musical instrument (not this girl), or have artistic abilities to paint, collage, sculpt, or draw (I got a B- in high school art class, so, nope). I… Continue reading The First One- My 5 Stages of Change