This morning I knocked over my mop bucket, spilling dirty water all over the living room. Then I realized that my stove isn't broken like I thought it was for the past week, but that the gas line just wasn't opened all the way. New year, same me. But also, new year, new goals! Well, …
At the beginning of 2015 I choose a word to define the year - soften. At the end of the year I did feel softer - in my attitudes, in my words, and in my relationships. And I wanted to keep that flow going. So this year, rather than choose a word, I chose to …
The thing about being a teacher is that no matter how successful I am, I fail. The thing about being a teacher is that I have 19 students in my care at one time. That’s 19 little human beings with their own personalities and preferences and learning styles and likes and dislikes and lengths of …
Every day 38 students, in two groups of 19, come into my classroom. (My very small classroom.) They come in excited and chatty. They come in with a lot of questions and stories and kisses and comments. They come in and they sit down and we get started. Every once in a while, while the …
Last Tuesday our school had a Christmas dinner. It was the first time since I've been there that everyone was all together in one place. The cleaning ladies, the women who work in the kitchen, the teachers, the maintenance staff (which is just one super cool guy named Ramon who reminds me of my dad), the …
Friday had all the makings of a great day. First, it's a Friday. Second, it was the day of my birthday party. Third, since it was the day before my birthday I planned on having a fun little crafty/Christmas time with my homeroom at the end of the day. Fourth, it's casual Friday so …
You've probably heard said, "I learned everything I need to know in kindergarten," or something like it. Well, in first grade in addition to teaching my lovelies phonics and addition, I like to think I give a refresher course in "everything I need to know." In first grade we practice sharing and taking turns and putting …
