All I really need to know I learned at CrossFit. Nope, I’m not kidding. Sure, CrossFit has made me stronger, faster, fitter, more flexible, and yes, I can do pull-ups now. These are all great benefits, but the truth is … Continue reading All I Really Need to Know
These quotes and a few more hang on my classroom wall. They’re meant to inspire kids to try, fail, tweak, and try again until they succeed; to help them understand that success requires effort and persistence; that struggle makes the eventual achievement that much more satisfying. I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. — Thomas A. Edison I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying. — Michael Jordan Do they work? Maybe, maybe not. Likely they just serve to make me feel like I’m encouraging them to stretch themselves … Continue reading It Doesn’t Matter If It’s Good Right Now
They’ve had enough. Over 210,000 have been kids affected by gun violence since April 20, 1999, the day that two shooters walked into their high school in Columbine, Colorado, armed to the teeth, terrorized their school, and murdered 13 people … Continue reading Shout it from the Rooftops
When I say conference, do you say “Aww, hell no”? If so, you might have had this experience before A Conference by Teachers — for Teachers Let me tell you, there is another way and it’s called Learning2.They aim to … Continue reading Learning2 Inspire
When Christopher Robin prepared to go off to school for the first time, to leave the Hundred Acre Wood, he sat down with Winnie-the-Pooh to explain: Christopher: “I’m not going to do Nothing any more.” Pooh: “Never again?” Christopher: “Well, … Continue reading Keeping the Color in School
Imagine a school where kids burst through the doors Ready to learn and dream and explore Inspired to DO because they know that they CAN. Imagine a school full of kids who know Only the word “yes”, they’ve never heard “no” YES you should try, YES you might fail, YES we believe in you. Imagine a school where there’s no me vs. you Where we success is something we achieve as a crew It might also be cheering as that one person pulls through Toward a goal they’d not reached before. Someday, I want to work at this … Continue reading Imagine a School
I have really struggled to write this post, this post in which we toot our own horn about our sustained efforts at networking. To be frank, this is not my forte. I’ve learned so much this year and connected to … Continue reading To Network or Not to Network. It’s Not Really a Question.
Cohort 7, we’ve made it. Like the original Apollo astronauts, we started full of enthusiasm, though not exactly knowing where we were heading or how it would turn out. https://giphy.com/embed/vooluv4uvvi8g via GIPHY OUR JOURNEY Course 1 had us consider our network and reach out to each other to help it grow. We learned about responsible use of technology and social media in Course 2. Then Course 3 brought us both Zen and CRAAP Design Principles. And we SAMR’d our lessons and considered the what, why, and how of our profession in Course 4. And here we are tying a bow … Continue reading Mission Accomplished
I was so excited for Course 5. I had the opportunity to teach a brand new class at our school. One loosely based on the Math Studies curriculum, but that allowed for more flexibility with use of blogging, reflecting, spreadsheets, collaborative and project-based assessment. My first unit all UbDesigned and planned. All set and ready for my final CoETAIL project. And then one kid signed up. One. It was enough to make me… https://giphy.com/embed/10tIjpzIu8fe0 via GIPHY …or at least give up. Give up on CoETAIL. 😦 I have to give credit to my network for picking me up A personal … Continue reading Back on Board
I travelled again to Iceland this past week with a group of 21 kids. Without a doubt it was the best trip I’ve yet had. Though I’m sure the fantastic weather and Northern Lights had a lot to do with the kids’ great attitudes, I couldn’t be prouder of their determination, focus, passion, and compassion. They smiled through all the hard work and asked for more of it as they widened and improved trails, shovelled and moved gravel and rocks, built a willow garden and turf wall, dug out ditches to improve drainage, trimmed willow bushes in campsites and turned … Continue reading Many Hands Make Light Work
Math Cookies 