In the beginning it was our dreams and aspirations we carried on our shoulders. We also threw in some hope and optimism just because we were told the road ahead may be rocky. It did not take long for us to experience our first heartbreak. Maybe it was a student who was coming from a … Continue reading The Shoulders of a Teacher
Tag: Education
Trust: Why I tell my students I love them every day
I begin the year as every teacher does: In front of new students who do not know me and are cautious about the idea of ever getting to know me. Even before the dust of our first acquaintance has settled, I make sure to call each of them by name and say the most important … Continue reading Trust: Why I tell my students I love them every day
First Day of School
I just wrapped up my first week of my 18th year of teaching. It is kind of crazy because I keep waiting for my “burn out”, but here I am. I can admit that I am in a state of dread for the days leading up to that first day, but it never fails...Once the … Continue reading First Day of School
Lessons from People with Abilities
I have been working with and for people with disabilities for decades. I have concluded that almost everything of value that I have learned in my life is credited to individuals with disabilities. I can say without hesitation, I would be an incomplete person had I not chosen to devote my life to special education. … Continue reading Lessons from People with Abilities
The F Word
A colleague of mine was wiping out an old work computer and found a video clip from years ago. In the video, students were participating in interviews unaware that their favorite teachers were dancing in the background like fools. As I watched this clip I was filled with a warm, familiar feeling that resonated … Continue reading The F Word
Remote Learning: A Glimpse at Student Dependency
Education was thrust into a form of learning that has never been done before as students took to their computers to access their virtual classrooms. As a special educator for nearly two decades my first thought was, “Oh no! How will our students thrive without a lack of support?” Support looks different for each of … Continue reading Remote Learning: A Glimpse at Student Dependency
Tomorrow’s Lesson Plan: Teaching Students How to Master Fear
The reality that existed on the last day we saw our students in March has quickly become a far different reality than what we will be presented with in the fall. Homes across the world are being infiltrated with uncertainty. Job loss, anxiety over the health of loved ones, and the management of social … Continue reading Tomorrow’s Lesson Plan: Teaching Students How to Master Fear
Parent Overload
Caution: You will not receive any apps, websites, virtual tours, or downloadable worksheets in the contents of this message. Enough is enough already. Parents have been inundated with websites, apps, worksheets, pictures of perfect schedules, and a variety of Pinterest mommy-perfect resources. They have been given a boatload of options, yet are told to keep … Continue reading Parent Overload
This is not what I signed up for…
Distraction: The Detriment to our Tomorrow Twenty years ago when I entered college as an aspiring educator, I had a host of things I knew to be true about the profession of teaching. I expected to work hard, which would require a grueling work ethic that summer would not absolve. I knew I would have … Continue reading This is not what I signed up for…
Fear
Heart pounding. Hands sweating. Mind racing. For many of us, this is what we conjure up when we think of fear. A freight train of emotion that warrants an immediate and obvious response. However, the toxic residue that lies behind fear is not always the crushing presence of adrenaline. In fact, most often it is … Continue reading Fear
Awake & Accelerate 