The sun is shining this morning, and we have survived another collegiate year of teacher training. It certainly wasn’t crisis free, nor did the plan always go as planned. But this Friday, a new set of teachers will walk across the stage to receive their hard-earned acknowledgement that indeed, they are qualified to lead our … Continue reading Don’t Miss the Gem in the Lesson
Category: Teaching in the Moment
Talk to Your Students About Your Whiteness
There are days that I wish I were still in the classroom. Days when the ministry of teaching wells up within me so forcefully that I ache for the opportunity to explore a horizon with young minds. Today is such a day. March is Women’s History Month. And this week we celebrate International Women’s Day … Continue reading Talk to Your Students About Your Whiteness
They’ll Be Okay…
Today was unique. I observed one of my student teachers teaching face to face. I’ve ‘known’ this young lady since September, when she was assigned to my graduate level cohort for field-experience, the prerequisite to student teaching. All those encounters had been remote. I only knew Jillian by her position on my Zoom screen. I’d … Continue reading They’ll Be Okay…
Hallways… Hollowed or Hallowed…?
The pandemic has altered life as we knew it; for me, schools and what we do for education in this new reality is forever on my mind. This past week, I had to go to the SUNY@ Buffalo campus to pick up a book. The first sign of ‘strange’ was that I had no problem … Continue reading Hallways… Hollowed or Hallowed…?
One Act at a Time…
I used to offer these worry dolls to my students when a need arose. Regular little worries which would grow larger than life, leaving the children feeling defeated and frustrated. Guatemalan Worry Dolls Yet somehow just being offered a doll to "hold their worries" helped get these little ones over and through what seemed in … Continue reading One Act at a Time…
Be the Classroom They Need
The question occurred to me recently… What if we adults, were the ‘only’ classroom our children got for the foreseeable future…? As each day brings us closer to realizing how much we really don’t know, and tensions rise as differing views amplify the struggles, it is becoming paramount that we look beyond what we want, … Continue reading Be the Classroom They Need
If It Can Work for Children…
Flashback to 2018 when I was still in the classroom… As we each found our spot on the rug… one person deep, so that NO One was out of the circle of belonging, everyone knew this was a safe place to be their true self. Some weeks, it was simply a light exchange of “What … Continue reading If It Can Work for Children…
Education… Our Future…
During National Teacher Week, our hearts and minds have gone to ALL the many factors that encompass 'being a teacher.' The spotlight on educators is brighter than ever, as we face what it means to teach a child in today’s world. Every day, I hear another story. The images sometimes bring me heart ache, sometimes … Continue reading Education… Our Future…
Remembering My Teachers
During this week of Teacher Appreciation, my intention is to post, from May 4th through 8th, in honor of Educators everywhere. Today’s post goes to my past, because every teacher knows that it takes a village. We are not alone in this quest to open the horizons of our students. Many, many souls are responsible … Continue reading Remembering My Teachers
In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week 2020
It takes on a whole new meaning this year… Whether you’re the  teacher who ‘lost’ her/his class, or the parent who gained one! ~education now wears a face that we could not even have conceived of a few months ago. During this special week in education, I wanted to recognize and applaud the efforts I … Continue reading In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week 2020