As the Thanksgiving holiday closes and the Christmas holiday season is underway, it is increasingly easy to feel heaps of gratitude. That gratitude comes from many places, including time spent with family and friends, amazing meals, and a warm house that provides shelter from the snow that found its way to the Midwest. Among all … [Read more…]
I am out of routine today. We traveled to Des Moines for a wedding yesterday and returned home today – great fun was has had by all, but, I am out of routine today. My body and my mind know it. They feel disjointed and are in need of realignment. I haven’t met my self-imposed-post-a-blog-by-1:00 … [Read more…]
There is a great deal of pride in reflecting on the work being done in our 7th – 12th grade building around literacy interventions and support for our special education staff and students. Our teachers, coaches, and administrators are working incredibly hard to rectify an unfortunate reality: 34% of our students are not proficient … [Read more…]
One of the closing lines of a recent Melissa and Lori Love Literacy Podcast addresses some angst that I have been carrying around supporting struggling middle and high school students. In episode # 237, phenom Jessica Toste says, “So if we do assessments [and] their fluency is not where we want it to be and … [Read more…]
My husband struggles with hearing loss. Years of working around heavy equipment and power tools have taken their toll. He has chosen not to pursue getting hearing aids due to the reports from friends and family who have not had the best luck with them. I’m frustrated with the choice, but understand not wanting to … [Read more…]