The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. Two days of RAGBRAI filled with generous Iowa spirit, camaraderie, hard work, and unexpected miles. At a critical juncture on the first day of our ride (Day 6 for other RAGBRAI riders), we decided to ride the Karras Loop, adding 16 miles to our 84-mile … [Read more…]
Everything is Figuroutable, and most things worth figuring out take time, hard work, perseverance, and collaboration. Proof of this very concept has come to light over and over again, including this past week. Collaborating with Coaches Our FMCSD instructional coaching staff was tasked with refining our district’s work around identifying essential standards for social emotional … [Read more…]
My summer kicked off with a commitment to reading 9 books, following a method for accomplishing goals suggested by George Couros. The second book on my to-read list for Summer ’24 is one that has been on my shelf for several years: Speech to Print by Louisa Moats. I have pulled Speech to Print several … [Read more…]
We were able to celebrate my dad’s life last Friday, surrounded by family and friends, and with an outpouring of support from our community. My siblings and I, and all 13 grandchildren were dressed in finer attire than we were for Mom’s Celebration of Life in January: a testament to the difference between Mom and … [Read more…]
It has been three weeks since Mom passed away. It has been three weeks of trying to find my footing, with a lot of slippery slopes making it tricky to find that footing. As Mom’s illness took such a sudden turn the second week of January, my siblings and I were able to be at … [Read more…]
I have a confession to make for my first post of 2024: I’m finding that I dread writing posts for this blog more and more frequently. I’m not sure where the dread is coming from, but I know that I don’t like it, and I do not want it to become a reason to quit … [Read more…]
It’s probably a bit too cliché to write about gratitude the week in which we celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving, but I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity. I’m proud to say that I regularly practice an attitude of gratitude, but that attitude was developed over time and is a constant work in progress. For … [Read more…]
In the last two weeks, the phrase, “Progress Through Struggle” keeps running through my head. That looping reminder is occurring because I have experienced more struggle than usual as an instructional coach as the beginning of this school year has unfolded. Part of that struggle comes from my cheese getting moved, part of it comes … [Read more…]
For a gal that is completely consumed by everything literacy, I sure do have a tendency to write about significant numbers: 60 Miles & Reading by the Numbers. This past weekend provided an opportunity to celebrate everything numbers. It marked the 70th anniversary of the West Point Sweet Corn Festival, an event marked by the … [Read more…]
I’m taking a brief step away from education topics this week to summarize my week in pictures. There is rarely a week that passes that isn’t noteworthy, and this past week was certainly no exception. From proud parent moments to proud daughter moments, here is my week at a glance: Proud Parent On Friday, Emmett … [Read more…]