When is the “right” to retain a student? Every year we deal with this question and every year it is the same question we must answer, what good will it do? This year was no different. We started off the year with holding out parent-teacher conferences as usual and completing all our initial paperwork. From September to January, we continued to email, Zoom, or hold in-person meetings with parents individually based on behavior, attendance, and academic inconsistencies. Our 7th grade team kept records of our correspondence with parents and other district personal providing support for individua ..read more

Teacher Appreciation Week is usually a week filled with cards, flowers, candy, and lots of good food. Although it may not always show, we really love our teachers. Teachers help parents guide their children through the ups and downs of childhood. Teachers provide a level of stability and impart values that build strong community leaders.  We all know this and after a while, it becomes easy for organic acts of gratitude to become ritualistic and habitual. So, let’s take a moment to reflect on the contributions that Teachers make to society and why we really should appreciate them. Teachers ..read more

Today was 8th grade promotion parade and I didn’t take a single picture. I did, however, snag a screenshot of a friend’s video for this blog post after the day was over. My district does promotion parades for all the 8th grade promotions since the pandemic. Families drive up to a red carpet and I get to call their names and they hop out to shake hands with our principal and receive their certificate. They then greet all the 8th grade teachers and take pictures at a photo booth before hopping back in the car. It’s such a special day. There are so many mental images that I will remember even tho ..read more

It is that time of year when contracts start rolling out and decisions start getting made. Teachers around the state, and around the country, need to decide what their plans are for next year. Return? Quit teaching? Change positions? Change schools? Since 2020, my colleagues and I joke more and more about finding new jobs for the next year. We have mostly stayed, only losing a few teacher friends to the allure of a different career. But I also see year long leaves of absence turn into a permanent change when new jobs pay better or cause less stress. And, while I love my school, I know there ar ..read more

This is a bittersweet blog for me. I have been working in the same district, but different schools, for the last 9 years. I absolutely LOVE this district because they truly care about the community, the staff, the kids, and the families. I have watched several students (and some of their siblings) grow up, move on to high school, and even graduate! I have added many friends to my ever-growing circle, attended staff parties, baby showers, and weddings. I have built a family! So why am I leaving this place I love? Geography! Although 16 miles one way does not seem like much, when you live in a m ..read more

I use to say April belongs to testing as this was the month my district began high-stakes state testing. Now, they start in March and end in May.  That means high-stakes testing consistently touches the climate in my class for 3 of our 10 academic months. This is not counting the benchmark testing that occurs throughout the year.  I have observed that the end year testing season totally changes the tone of learning in our class as students take on an “I’m done” attitude toward learning.  The more I guide students through learning, the more I question the weight we place on state ..read more

The end of the year is near. You can feel it in the chaotic hallways. Yearbooks are being passed out. Teachers have the end of the year craziness condensed into a schedule complete with field day, extra daily duties, and a whole list of things we need to do in order to actually leave that last day of school. Reflection is in the air as students prepare for finals and enjoy their last days together before summer break.  Teachers are reflective creatures by nature. It is in our blood to reflect upon each detail of our job and how we can improve the next minute, hour, or day. We also reflect ..read more

To give homework, or not to give homework, that is the question! Teachers have various feelings about homework. Some teachers have the mindset that students should have some percentage of homework that correlates with how much school work they have. Some teachers feel that students have worked hard enough all day and do not need any more work at home. Some districts or schools have homework policies in place that teachers have no input about.  I have worked at schools with various requirements. I taught younger grades, and we were told at one of my schools that students in kindergarten sh ..read more

There is no way around it, teaching is a challenge. The experience of a teacher is hard to communicate to those outside the profession. That’s why it’s so important to have strong relationships with other people going through the same thing. Teacher Besties are a must!  We know the importance of creating a strong classroom community in order to help our students flourish. We need that for ourselves as well. Our teaching community offers support, encouragement, and comfort in a role that can, more often than not, feel overanalyzed and underappreciated. This community is what helps us conti ..read more

A few weeks ago, I was blessed to attend a wonderful Professional Development at the Arizona Science Center called “Integrating STEM Through Literature”. It did exactly that! Hosted in the CREATE Makerspace, I joined ten other teachers in linking the two academic areas that can seem the most disconnected.  It was a wonderful learning opportunity.  In addition to connecting with inspiring teachers, I walked away with a variety of lessons and ideas that I will be implementing to get my class through the end-of-school-year countdown.  The activities can easily connect with pretty m ..read more