A place for classroom teachers to be mindful ADVOCATES for education. Share your voice. Contributors welcome!
If you haven't said it, you've heard it said. "I don't get into politics" I understand, REALLY. I've never been openly political in my entire life. That is until 2018. I generally keep my opinions to myself, research candidates and issues, vote regularly and expect that my representatives would vote based on the needs of... Continue Reading →
Once a really long time ago, when I was young, inexperienced, and clearly did not have an appreciation for the finer things in life, I went to a work conference with my husband. His employer put us up at a very nice hotel and paid for dinner at an expensive restaurant. This would have been... Continue Reading →
I feel so good when I find someone expressing an idea that I can totally relate to. It’s like I’ve found a friend across Twitter and clicking that little heart is like shouting, “YES!” Yong Zhao of the University of Kansas earned a huge like from me for his July 16, 2018 blog post, “What... Continue Reading →
“What if we weren’t afraid?” My friend Jess Ledbetter wrote this blog reflecting on that question for educators in January 2015. In the article she gives a call to action for more advocacy of public education. Fast forward to summer of 2017. I met Jess at the first Convening of Arizona Hope Street Teacher Fellows.... Continue Reading →
When is a teacher no longer functioning as a teacher? I would argue that I ALWAYS represent my school district. I don’t drink alcohol, but I have bought alcohol before, and I remember running into the mom of one of my students as I was purchasing two bottles of wine, and I was totally embarrassed.... Continue Reading →
On a national teachers’ Facebook page, someone recently asked, “How do you win a class over?” He got hundreds of responses, most of which I didn’t read, because I don’t think that there’s an answer to that which would be appropriate for the space below a FB posting. Plus, I don’t think he’d like my... Continue Reading →
I became a runner because a coach cared about me, even though—at the time—I was the worst runner on the team. The fact that she cared about me, and her ability to let me know that, literally changed my life. I went on to run in college, and I still run all but two days... Continue Reading →
You know how people are all outraged about “ObamaCare”? Well, it’s one of those things that—to me, a non-medical person—sounds really good. Who doesn’t like the idea of everyone getting to have health insurance, even with pre-existing conditions? Apparently, it only sounds good, though, because my insurance friend talks about it with a very negative... Continue Reading →
(This is very local to Scottsdale, Arizona. "SOS" refers to a FB page called Safeguard Our Students). Perhaps you have heard this little quip before, but here it is again: making changes to this world does not happen by clicking “like” on a Facebook page. Making actual comments on a posting on a FB page... Continue Reading →
Sometimes (not often enough) I try to give a gift to my future self. This week, I am giving my future self the gift of time. Thus, even though school doesn’t start until Monday, I have been at school this week getting as much done as possible, so that the "me" of next week has... Continue Reading →
Susan Collins
christineportermarsh
jenm1716
Jess Ledbetter
jgrochocki
kalenssmith
Karla Palafox
Lauren Cluff
migodfrey
Nicole Wolff
Stefanie Ewbank
Ben Sullens
Kristin Roberts
Petra Schmid-Riggins
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