Good Enough

"Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien." ~Voltaire If there's a lesson that this year is likely to teach me, it's the value of saying good enough. As usual, I've taken on a lot this academic term. Teaching five classes (three preps, two of which are new) in middle and upper school, serving as an Instructional …

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First Week Reflections

We finished our first full week of school today. A few quick reflections... Mind warp at mad speed This year I'm piloting a blended learning class at our school. It's a 11/12th grade section of US History that meets twice per week in the classroom. On the other days, students have assignments to complete online …

What Do I Owe My Digital Colleagues*?

I love contributing to conversations of other educators online. I've been the beneficiary of generosity of many, especially the members of the English Companion Ning in my first year of teaching English and several really helpful teachers and professors who use Twitter. But recently, I feel like I'm not keeping up my end of the …

The Gift of Time

A colleague and I sat in a room with no outside light, affectionately known as the fishbowl, for several days this summer. While this may sound like torture akin to the rubber room, it was actually quite a gift. Because we had the gift of time to plan, we had the freedom to spend 30 minutes …

I’d Be Brave as a Blizzard

This post was inspired a question Kelly and Todd asked on their blogs- What are 5 things you would do in education/the classroom if you were brave enough? Before I answer the question, I think it bears saying that anyone who teaches is already brave. Standing in front of and alongside of teenagers or children everyday is …