As part of our 1st grade work in math, we are heading into place value, ten pairs, and addition. So of course, one of the games we will be playing more than once, is Race to 100, a fantastic math game that can be used to teach addition, subtraction, place value and so much more. As we prepared the game, we realized we needed dice and instead of adding stickers to regular dice, we figured we could have some 3D printed. Enter my husband and his trusty 3D printer. Math manipulatives He printed me 18 individual dice with the numbers: -1, +1, +1, -10- and +10, +10 And that file can be found right ..read more

I love these end of the year lists that come out, especially now that I sit in Denmark and don’t get to see quite the same amount of books written in America as I normally would. So I figured why not share some of my favorite graphic novels, starting with this gift guide in case you are looking for that perfect gift for yourself or another reader. Maisie is on her way to Fancon! She’s looking forward to meeting her idol, Kara Bufano, the action hero from her favorite TV show, who has a lower-leg amputation, just like Maisie. But when Maisie and her mom arrive at the convention center, she is ..read more

I never thought I would step out of the classroom as a teacher. There was no vision of my future that didn’t have me being a teacher, yet taking a break from physically teaching and working in marketing as a brand writer has been an incredible experience. Not only am I now 100% certain that I want to get back in the classroom, but I have also gotten to test so many of the writing strategies I have taught students throughout the years, expanded my own knowledge of the corporate tech world, and had to push myself way beyond my comfort zone. Starting over in a career at 42 is not for the fainthea ..read more

8 years ago the 2nd edition of Passionate Learners: How to Engage and Empower Your Students was released into the world. I saw it make a difference to those who read it, educators reaching out to ask further questions, to tell me that they loved the practicality of the book, that it gave them the courage and the path to co-create spaces with students. I wrote the book, never thinking there would be another edition because surely I had said everything I wanted to say. I had given my best advice. But then the world changed, and I changed right along with it. In 2015, I could never have imagined ..read more

Posted from my Patreon community where I take requests for book lists to create, share resources, and offer up coaching for members. It is a very easy way for me to be accessible to people around the world, you can join here. I am continuing with my updates of the picture book lists I made several years ago to accompany the teaching of a variety of reading skills. This time, the focus is on Words of the Wiser or that moment when a character, often older and/or wiser, gives the main character sage advice. This advice directly speaks to the theme, the conflicts of the story, as we ..read more

As our kids are getting older, we talk a lot about healthy relationships, boundaries, and consent. Not just in romantic relationships, but in all the ones they have – with friends, with authority figures, with us. And one of the lessons we are teaching them is that they have the right to answer no. To withhold information requested by others that have no business asking for it. To not give the full story, or stay silent if needed. Too often, we teach kids that when someone asks you a question you answer it, but at what expense? When do we teach kids that just because someone answered doesn’t ..read more

8 years ago the 2nd edition of Passionate Learners: How to Engage and Empower Your Students was released into the world. I saw it make a difference to those who read it, educators reaching out to ask further questions, to tell me that they loved the practicality of the book, that it gave them the courage and the path to co-create spaces with students. I wrote the book, never thinking there would be another edition because surely I had said everything I wanted to say. I had given my best advice. But then the world changed, and I changed right along with it. In 2015, I could never have imagined ..read more

Posted from my Patreon community where I take requests for book lists to create, share resources, and offer up coaching for members. It is a very easy way for me to be accessible to people around the world, you can join here. I am continuing with my updates of the picture book lists I made several years ago to accompany the teaching of a variety of reading skills. This time, the focus is on “Internal Conflict” or that moment when a character asks a large question in order to try to make sense of themselves or the story. This can give us a further clue as to who they are, the con ..read more

Posted from my Patreon community where I take requests for book lists to create, share resources, and offer up coaching for members. It is a very easy way for me to be accessible to people around the world, you can join here. I am continuing with my updates of the picture book lists I made several years ago to accompany the teaching of a variety of reading skills. This time, the focus is on “Memory Moments” or that moment when a character has a flashback that in some ways gives us further clue to who they are, why they may be acting the way they are, the theme of the story, or e ..read more

I cannot be the only one who navigates productivity guilt. You know, that feeling of never having accomplished enough as an educator, or adult, and therefore not deserving of rest. The bad news? Productivity guilt can lead to major health implications, I know this, I have had major health implications the last 5 years of being a teacher such as anxiety, a weakened immune system leading to multiple pneumonia and bronchitis bouts, and high blood pressure. The good news – it doesn’t have to be this way. But as someone who is still trying to break productivity guilt habits, it is hard to bre ..read more