Many Points

I started this blog with the original goal of writing something inspiring 2 or 3 times a week.  I then realized that would be a lot of prose writing, so maybe once a week would be a better goal.  And then, life happened.  Family came into town, my older daughter had a day off to play at a museum with me and her daughter, and I had AC issues.  Add to that a backload of laundry to do, bugs to kill, and a yard to take care of, blogging took a back seat. In the process of NOT blogging, I did determine I needed to be creative.  So I branched out, reached out of my comfort zone, and began drawing with chalk/pastels.  I discovered another benefit to my new medium of creative effort:  as I struggled with my vast lack of perfection, I could understand the struggle many of my students face in math. What?  You may be asking what does drawing have to do with student struggle.  I say, EVERYTHING!! Every day I ask my math students to step out of their comfort zones.  Every day I ask students w

As teachers, we are required to develop professionally.  Seems a bit funny, I would think that as a teacher one would want to keep learning, growing, developing.  I teach because I love to learn, anything. In 2010, I became a Quantum Learning facilitator in the school district where I work.  I love Quantum Learning, a system designed to help me as a teacher use what I know to be a more connected, more effective teacher.  I get to help other teachers become better teachers!  Not only do I get to model for other teachers, I get to embody more and more all that I love about teaching.  It is amazing!  And the more I learn, the more I want to learn! I just finished four amazing days presenting with four wonderful educators,  I just finished four amazing days with over 100 incredible classroom teachers who are dedicated to improving their teaching, their students' learning, and really, the world. In public education, we are charged with the education of ALL students who come to ou

I am a teacher by trade.  I love my job; I truly love teaching.  I love my students most of the time.  When I cannot, there is someone who can, and I love one of his/her hard to love students.  Teaching is sharing, a give and take of soul and ideas and time and knowledge and love. Teaching does not occur in isolation.  My classroom may be my refuge, but if I do not seek out others, there will be times when I will become overwhelmed, lost, and discouraged.  I cannot teach without students.  Even with students, I cannot teach without their permission!  Yes, I believe that my students give me permission to teach them, and that I gain that permission by respecting them as individuals, and by becoming interested in their worlds.  Much easier said than done, but when done, boy, do my students learn. So, I am a teacher by trade, and?  I am a poet at heart.  What does that have to do with a blog post?  EVERYTHING!  I am a poet, I write short, figurative pieces.  They make a point, they cre

"Be the change you wish to see in the world," is not exactly a Gandhi quote, although it is attributed to him.  Whether it is or it is not, I am here to suggest that we in education change it ... Be the change you wish to see in EDUCATION. or Be the change you wish to see in your CLASSROOM. I am a classroom teacher.  Most of the time I feel quite incapable of changing anything within my district, or my school, much less the state or the country.  But I can BE the change I desire,  It can start with me. For example, if I truly believe that students learn in relationships, then I will work hard to form educational relationships with my students.  Sometimes it may seem that there is too much curriculum, or too many worksheets, or too many absences to be able to ¨relate" to my students, too much other "stuff" to spend time on to get my students on my side.  And even though it seems that way, I can CHOOSE to build those relationships anyway! In my classes,

Where would I have been my first year of teaching had I not had a wonderful group of teachers supporting me? What would have happened to me if on my most frustrating days, I did not find some comfort, guidance, and laughter from my peers? In this digital age, is there a way that I can possibly return the favor and help teachers, too? That is my quest!