Of course, this is facetious, for I am not a principal or even a teacher for that matter, but there have been times in recent years I have had to act as one. Recent duties have brought this forward in my mind once again. Yesterday, I had to assist my youngest son on turning in…
There is much I could write about today for my slice of life post and the supportive writing community of two writing teachers blog. There is the personal angle, really foremost in my mind that today is my 30th wedding anniversary! It really is a milestone of two lives entwined with a shared past, content…
Have you ever done something you knew was going to irritate you, but did it anyway? I did that today. Today, I opened a folder of notes I took while meeting with a friend over coffee about a new grading policy at our high school. She knew I was a student advocate and wanted to…
Earlier this week we received the packet of information that comes from our school district regarding registration for the upcoming school year. Now that I have two high schoolers (soon to be a sophomore and a senior), a single packet arrives with the materials. You can imagine what is inside – school photo forms, parking…
One of the most useful teaching techniques I have found is using awe to inspire learning. What is awe? This word is both a verb and a noun, according to the Oxford online dictionary: NOUN a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder: “they gazed in awe at the small mountain of diamonds”…
Ten things I have learned by being a student advocate for two decades: 1. You will feel a sense of power and/or relief when positive change is made. Do not let this feeling of accomplishment let you rest on your laurels. 2. You will be frustrated or even angry when the needs of those for…
The postcard has laid on the shelf for a week. Just receiving it, although expected, brought up many mixed emotions for me. My response is required by today. It would mean another committment, another volunteer role, and another chance to advocate for our student body. It also would mean another possibility there might be retribution…
There is no doubt that I am a life long learner! In the midst of obtaining a second master’s degree, twenty-five years after my first in an arguably different discipline, very few could accuse me of not being committed to learning and growing through my life thus far. Taking graduate courses during the school year,…
Right now, I find myself in a place where I have to stop trying to make a difference. I have realized that I cannot win this game. This year I spoke out about some teaching practices and administrative decisions that I disagreed with from my perspective as a parent and student advocate. I spoke out,…
It’s official! I have a high school senior once again! With my oldest graduating from college this year, I find myself headed into the busy time of preparing for college applications with my next oldest! Today, as I write, he is taking the SAT or Scholastic Aptitude Test or more recently known as the Scholastic…