Chelsea

25 Jul 202225 Jul 2022

If you walked past my classroom, you could smell it from the doorway. In fact, you could smell it from slightly down the hall, past my students' cubbies, almost to…

The Learning that Led to Today

19 Apr 202219 Apr 2022

"You aren't these kids' first teacher, and you won't be the last."-Jennifer N. When I was an early career teacher, teaching 4th grade, I wanted to teach my students everything.…

A Tribute to My First School: The End of the Beginning

19 Jun 201928 Jun 2020

Yesterday, my First School closed. It was the school that took a chance on me, where an optimistic principal hired me -- a green, green 21 year old -- to…

We Need to Talk About Crazy Barb, or Throwing Skittles at a Problem

28 May 201824 Jul 2020

A NOTE: While I changed her name and a few minor identifying details, this is essentially a true account. I know it sounds strange -- because it was. This is not…

Doris

23 Jan 20188 Sep 2020

A student from my first ever fourth grade class -- now in his 20s -- contacted me on Facebook today. He was glad that I remembered him. "u and mrs…

The New Kid

16 Oct 201712 Feb 2022

In a nutshell: my district offers a fellowship grant each year for six teachers to spend a (paid) week writing about teaching over the summer. I am never fully certain…