I went for a run yesterday and was frustrated, yet again, at my decreasing stamina when it comes to running. Several factors are contributing: a second bout with a respiratory illness, tiredness because of the illness, being out of shape due to lack of running, and sore hamstrings that have been a factor since late … [Read more…]
In my work as an instructional coach, I have the great fortune of working with many teacher teams across many grade levels. This allows for a birds-eye view of our district happenings, where I tend to train my eyes on literacy instruction. A common theme among teacher teams, related to literacy or any other content … [Read more…]
The Truth About Reading The truth about reading is that we have been failing to teach kids how to read for years. According to The Truth About Reading website, “Illiteracy and sub-literacy in America (and around the world) is a growing issue. Awareness is important, but so is action.” Action is happening in the state … [Read more…]
Last week, I indicated that the education world continues to present many challenges: “Our students are not the same students we had before 2020. They are displaying more frequent challenging behaviors. Despite this, we have educators at FMCSD (and everywhere!) who are working incredibly hard to meet the needs of our students.” As I continue … [Read more…]
I found myself in tears several times this past week. Thankfully, each time involved tears of joy and of pride. Despite all of the turmoil in education today, I’m going to remain firm in my belief that the future is bright. Monday afternoon brought the first round of tears as I sat in on a … [Read more…]
As I observe leaders in different capacities and reflect on my own role as a teacher leader, I have been thinking about what it takes to be an effective leader. There are loads of books on the topic of leadership, written by folks with far greater knowledge than I have, but this post is my … [Read more…]
It’s been a week. My emotions have been all over the place, as we celebrated Owen’s trip to the IHSAA Wrestling Tournament, where he earned a place on the podium. His 8th place finish was not where he wanted to land, but we couldn’t be more proud! The weekend was filled with celebrations and frustrations, … [Read more…]