I recently reflected and blogged on my first few weeks as an administrator and one of my key points was the fact that I will make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, but each person has the choice to let the mistake/failure define who they are or to learn and grow from the experience. I had the …
Three Promises I Make to My Children
Parenting is tough, like really tough. I had no idea what I was signing up for 12 years ago when my son came into this world. I have made more mistakes than I care to share, but I have also experienced more joy than I thought possible. As time has gone on, I have been …
The Power of a Positive Phone Call
March 16, 2020 is a day that I will always remember in my educational career. This day would be the first day of remote learning across the state of Arkansas which would last the entire 4th quarter. 9 weeks later, I am wrapping up the school year and taking a minute to reflect on the …
Educator’s Lifesaving Tip 1: Checklists
I will never forget the day I got to shadow my favorite administrator. He had all sorts of tricks up his sleeve to build positive and lasting relationships with all students. You can read about my day in Shadowing an Administrator. One thing I wrote about is the checklist that Mr. Smith made first thing …
Happy Birthday to Me!
Today I turn 31, and all of my students know it. Which is against everything I learned in college; keep your work and personal life completely separate. Anyone who knows me understands that it is not just a birthday, it's birthday-month. This was quite a shock for my husband during our first year of marriage. …
Building Relationships with the Unlikable Students
We all have had a student that we would rather be on someone else's roster. Of course, this child is never absent and shows up 15 minutes before school to come straight to your room. There is something about the connection between you and that child that just does not click. So what can we …
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Feedback: how are we really doing?
Teacher evaluations can be a stressful topic in schools. Personally, I look forward to walk-throughs from my administrator. It is a time for an outsider to come in and give me a different perspective on my classroom. I anxiously look forward to my feedback as it provides insight on areas I can celebrate and areas …