“If my private world is in order, it will be because I am convinced that the inner world of the spiritual must govern the outer world of activity” – Gordon Macdonald  - Ordering Your Private World   I’ve been doing a lot of rich, deep reading lately. A lot of soul-searching,... [Read more of this post]

The third reason for the complexities of teaching, an often overlooked factor is the fact that: we teach who we are. “Teaching emerges from one’s inwardness. As I teach, I project the condition of my soul onto my students, my subject and our day together.” Parker Palmer Days when I... [Read more of this post]

“The students we teach are larger than life and even more complex. To see them clearly and see them whole, and respond to them wisely in the moment, requires a fusion of Freud and Solomon that few of us achieve.” Daunting tasks, so it seems. Caring for kids is synonymous with being a teacher.... [Read more of this post]

The first complexity that leads to the roller coaster of highest highs and the plummets of the lowest lows is the fact that our subject matters are incredibly difficult to get a handle on. For most teachers, they are required to be a generalist – something pretty hard to accomplish, as it is difficult... [Read more of this post]

I really, really love the writings of Parker Palmer. He has a way with words, drawing me into a deeper understanding and awareness of the inner dialogue, battles, joys and successes that I face daily as a teacher. His article entitled “We Teach Who We Are” demonstrates this incredible skill... [Read more of this post]

When you are passionate about what you do, enthusiasm comes along with the territory. That is a good thing, a necessary thing. When enthusiasm becomes problematic is when it is allowed to determine your list of priorities, and as a educator I know this all too well. I can get excited about the latest... [Read more of this post]

Just once you’ve cross the finish line with report cards, next up is Parent Teacher interviews. For some, this is an unknown that can feel incredibly daunting – but by keeping the following five “P’s” in mind you can have a successful first round of interviews! Partnership - This was the BIGGEST... [Read more of this post]

I loved this prezi that recaptured again what Assessment for Learning truly means. Within it is a video on giving feedback from Dylan Williams and in it he says something that was quite profound for me this afternoon… “Good feedback causes thinking.” As a Social Studies and Language Arts teacher,... [Read more of this post]

This is definitely an on-going debate at my school. Report cards – how to we best report achievement? While many of you are in the throes of writing report cards, you may not quite have the time at the moment to venture into the “what ifs” of assessment. For many of you, report card theories and... [Read more of this post]

This question has continued to come up again in conversation so I thought I would re-post it. Great discussion starter amongst colleagues! This question was posed at my table last week at an Alberta Education Curriculum Coordinator meeting, and the ensuing discussion was inspiring. What is it that makes... [Read more of this post]