education
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A Leap of Faith
This is not the first time I have taken a huge leap of faith, stepped out, trusted what I was told, and took the chance. It is, however, the first time that leap of faith has risked upsetting the delicate apple cart of my children and meant Mike would leave the job (and vested retirement)… Continue reading
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Measuring Growth: Personal Journeys in Education and Life
In education, we often talk about growth being measurable. We assign numbers to the growth we want students to achieve so we can track if the student is reaching their goals. “Student will raise their hand 4 of 5 times and wait to be called on.” Personally, I am not a fan of Continue reading
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Keep The Character: When Teaching Children or Refinishing Furniture, Look For Individuality
For many teachers, the summer is a time of rest, to vacation with or without family, and perhaps, a time to reflect. For me, summer is a time to work with my hands, to get splinters, to get dirty in a garden, and to see the fruits of my labor as I work with a Continue reading
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Learning from the Best
A recent conversation with my husband ended with him saying, “You really learned a lot from your own teachers as a student but also from teachers as a teacher.” As much as it pains me to say, he is right. A quick review of my own learning led me to a list of some amazing Continue reading
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The Gift in the Thorn
One day, a student asked me if Johnny would make the book, too. My response was, “Johnny will have his own chapter. I will call it, ‘Little Johnny’, and the first sentence will read, ‘His name really was Johnny, but he was not little. He was tall, athletic, and notorious for speaking before he thought.’” Continue reading
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Books: The New Naughty?
The irony of banning a book about the dangers of banning books (Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury) is not lost on me. Continue reading
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Happy Graduation Season: Let’s Celebrate
It is the time of year when we celebrate the accomplishments of completing an educational journey, when lunches and dinners are had in honor of diplomas and degrees. This is also the time when other people provide unsolicited advice on what the graduates should do with their lives now that they have been educated and… Continue reading
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The Shoulders of Giant
When you find yourself at a new beginning, find a giant to lead the way, who can help you navigate the pill falls and the dangerous corners, but who is also willing to elevate you to carry the torch so that when you find your own footing, you can grow to become the giant for… Continue reading
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A Rose By Any Other Name
When you respectfully ask another individual to help you understand why their name is so important to them, you are not only gaining understanding and participating in a human-to-human activity, but you are also telling that person that you see them, you hear them, and you are trying to learn to support them. If you… Continue reading
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The Lasting Impact of an Amazing Mentor
My relationship with “Doc” began when I went to work for her in the fall of 2011. I was immediately intimidated, not only to be teaching under a phenomenal teacher turned administrator who, still taught like a boss, but because she had a no-nonsense air about her that reminded you, she could see through all… Continue reading
Education, etc. 