Recently, while I was on Instagram, I saw this incredible image from the @biglifejournal that my sister-in-law posted, who is an outstanding Mom to an adorable and hilariously stubborn toddler named Westin- who also happens to be the love of my life, too. Although my sister-in-law posted this quote with the idea of how it …
Social-Emotional Health is a Necessity, Not a Luxury Read More »
We all know that building relationships is king in education. Without a relationship, your teaching is really not teaching at all. But, I have found that we often think we are building a relationship and a solid rapport with a student, when in reality, the student may not feel the same way. This is a …
“We’ve got to make sure that we’re ambassadors for education and that we’re talking about the significance of education. We’ve got to make sure that young people see that education is still relevant, still powerful, and still the key to their success.” -Baruti Kafele Let’s break this down further. Kafele mentions these three contributing factors …
Inspiration If you have read “The Innovator’s Mindset,” you will remember George’s idea on the difference between “engaging” students and “empowering” students. Through the differentiation that George made between the two concepts, I started reflecting on intangible and tangible results that I have experienced as an educator in the classroom which inspired me to create …
A group of 5th graders and I have been working closely on diving into Makerspace type learning and thinking. Students have explored the concept of thinking differently in a variety of ways. Background But, before we jump into how we learned and our podcast, it is important to discuss the meaning behind our reasoning. Although the …
Student learning playlists are a unique way to personalize learning for students. Many educators are taking various versions of this approach to differentiate learning for their students. I first heard about learning playlists through reading articles and posts about Alt School. On Alt School’s website, they describe their playlists with the following explanation, “Playlist is …
MAP testing time is upon us. This testing window can be a stressful time for students and teachers alike. But, the worries can compile for students who are taking the test for the first time. Going into MAP testing, it is essential that we continue to keep our students front and center. Adults tend to …
Of all my passions, nothing holds more meaning to me than empowering students to LEAD! When we allow students to lead, we are more likely to empower them not only in their day-to-day learning but in their LIFE. And in my opinion, that is one of the greatest things, if not THE greatest thing, …
Edcamps for teachers have taken the educational world by storm. Teachers, including myself, have been refreshed and renewed with the “edcamp style” of learning which consists of learning and sharing in an unconference format. In regular PD’s and conferences, you have to sit in one spot, even if you are not getting anything out of …
