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Coffee Humor {Monday Motivation}
Here’s to you, fellow java junkies…. a little Monday Motivation/Humor to let you know you’re not alone! Stay out of prison today. Drink up. I’ll be right there with ya’…. You’ll recognize me. I’ll be the one with the sheepish grin and BIG eyes. Welcome back, students! Heads-up: caffeine’s kickin’…. Open your notebooks… Let’s get this party started! Three weeks ’til winter vacation (but…
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When Dads Walk Away…. {Slice of Life}
What happens when dads walk away? As a ‘dad-less’ daughter, I know kids are left behind to wonder why. Why did he go? Why didn’t he want me? What did I do wrong? Why didn’t he want to be around? What could I have done differently to make him stay? Or, worse yet, kids left behind think mom pushed dad away, and surely, if mom had…
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Dear Teacher… {Six-Word Wednesday}
I recently shared six-word stories, one of my favorite writing forms, with my high school students, on a day we could actually breathe a little. Any more, these days are few and far between. No observers. No guests. No testing. Just time to write. Creatively. Makes me miss (even more!) the days when Reading/Writing Workshop was the foundation of my then-middle…
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Why I Teach: Ten (Important) Reasons
Students Students Students Students Students Students Students Students Students Students Oftentimes, when I tell people I’m a high school teacher, I get this response (or a slight variation), “Oh, wow! I could never do that! Teenagers these days….” Truth is, the teenagers have been the only reason I keep coming back to the K-12 classroom. Let’s be clear ~ some are a royal pain in…
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Helping Teens Handle Life. And Death.
Being a high school teacher affords me many opportunities to help teens handle life. And loss. It is at once: enlightening, encouraging, painful, and honest. Emotions are raw, understanding often limited, and nearly all experiences are ‘firsts.’ Sadly, some, like birth and death, become second- and third-time experiences for a few. Being there, with a shoulder, a safe place to cry, or a place to celebrate,…
