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Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Wanna play?

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , on January 23, 2010 | 3 Comments »

“I believe that play is as fundamental a human disposition as loving and working.” -David Elkind
How often do our kids play?
My guess is not often enough. Somehow play has become a bad word in education. It’s equated with wasting time, and often allowed only if there is extra time after all the “important” things are done [...]

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Good teacher = Good year

Posted in Uncategorized on August 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

School is starting up again all over the country. My Facebook friends who have kids all have status updates that sound very alike – some variation on “hoping my child has a good teacher and a good year”.  As a teacher, I certainly realize how important a good teacher is. But, not being a parent [...]

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A blank canvas

Posted in Inquiry, Language, Literacy, Uncategorized, tagged , , , on August 22, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

One of the most wonderful things about being a teacher is the chance to start new every year. I welcome the opportunity to have that fresh start – that new beginning – every September. I think about it like an artist might,  having a huge, blank canvas in front of me and deciding what to [...]

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Summer – A time for reflection & rejuvenation

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , on July 8, 2009 | 1 Comment »

“Out of the strain of the doing, into the peace of the done.”
Julia Woodruff
A card bearing this quote arrived in my mailbox on the same day I finished all of the end of the year craziness at school. What perfect timing. After this school year, I was ready for the “peace of the done.” [...]

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What would you like to change?

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on January 22, 2009 | 2 Comments »

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. 
-President Obama

I found this quote recently and absolutely love it. Often, I find myself wishing things were different…or waiting for someone or something to change the way things [...]

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Choosing Our Focus

Posted in Uncategorized on November 16, 2008 | 1 Comment »

What a week. Full moon, rainy days (indoor recess!), disruptions in the schedule, me being sick…whatever it was, I wondered if we were back at the first week of school! I know we all have days or even weeks like this, and can easily take it all home with us – really letting it bring [...]

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Education Advisors to Debate

Posted in Uncategorized on October 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment »

Education and the next president: McCain and Obama advisors to debate
On October 21, the education advisors to the presidential candidates will face off in a debate at Teachers College at Columbia University in New York City. The debate will feature Lisa Graham Keegan, former Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction and advisor to Senator John McCain [...]

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What keeps teachers in the classroom?

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on October 5, 2008 | 1 Comment »

Last week I was asked how I was able to stay a classroom teacher for the seventeen years that I have been teaching. It was an interesting question, and one that has stayed in my mind for several days. When I think about the classroom teachers I know, most of them have been teachers for [...]

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Joy

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on September 17, 2008 | 1 Comment »

“If the experience of “doing school” destroys children’s spirit to learn, their sense of wonder, their curiosity about the world, and their willingness to care for the human condition, have we succeeded as educators, no matter how well our students do on standardized tests?” – ASCD Smart Brief
The current issue of Educational Leadership is titled “The Positive [...]

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Looking to the future, and enjoying the moment

Posted in Uncategorized on August 26, 2008 | 1 Comment »

I’m a runner – currently training for my third marathon this winter. I love to run, and could fairly easily crank out the necessary miles and finish the 26.2 – and still be able to walk the next day. However, I really, really, REALLY want to qualify for the Boston marathon. This means I needed [...]

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