Educational Blog

Third grade is my favorite grade to teach. Yes, I have taught it the longest so its bound to grow on me. However, in all honesty, its my sweet spot. The kids are at the perfect age where they still love school and want to impress the teacher but also are growing in maturity each…

I recently read an article entitled “Dare to Live Greatly,” written by Brene Brown. It resonated with me for numerous reasons and made me begin a journey of reflection. Below are quotes I pulled out of the article, followed by the thoughts it provoked inside me. “Vulnerability is about uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure.” Most…

Another creative and engaging way to get “micro” PD to staff!

This is such a great, creative way to get staff engaged in relevant PD!

Well, its the end to another great school year. I am so thankful for the kiddos who come into my life and change me for the better.Enjoy the last edition (for this school year) of Students Say the Darndest Things! [check out previous posts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8] Conversations: S:…

Do you tweet? If not, you should! When Twitter first came out, it was the latest rage. However, I didn’t really understand the point considering it sounded similar to Facebook, which was very established at the time. Therefore, I never created a personal Twitter account. But then my district continued to post about Twitter Chats in…

I truly believe if you ever want to really know how you are doing, ask your students! Kids are honest and if you ever want to do something better you need honest feedback. Plus, your students are with you all day long so their perspective is the most important as well as accurate. I found…

Tweet Me! I had the opportunity to observe Rachel Harris at Irwin Academic Academy recently [see original post here]. One of the takeaways I had was her exit ticket chart. She utilized the exit tickets to form her small group instruction. I knew this was an easy implementation and adjustment to my classroom routine, so I…

[See first year anniversary post here] I am so thankful for my blog. It has been more of a gift to me than I ever realized. I have reflected and chronicled much of my educational practices over the years. I see the growth and that is due to the awesome bloggers and readers out there!…

I was approached by Scott Ertl, creator of Bouncy Bands. My good friend Dana over at Third Grade Gridiron (as mentioned in the image above) referred him to me, and I’m so glad she did! Bouncy bands are geared towards students who are fidgety and need motion to focus. It attaches to the two front desk legs so…