Nothing gets me testier than testing. As you might know, I served on the North Carolina Statewide Task Force for Summative Assessment. If you’ve ever proctored a high stakes EOG test, you’ll know what a dismal experience it is for students and teachers alike. My own … [Read more...] about NC Citizens — Help Remove Punitive Standard 6 From Teacher Evaluations
children
Snow Days Spark New Reverence for Teachers
We missed a couple days of school here in North Carolina. We had more ice than snow, and regardless how much Northern driving experience you have, there's no way you're getting around safely on a highway that's morphed into a skating rink. And so we hunker down. It's expected … [Read more...] about Snow Days Spark New Reverence for Teachers
Making A World of Difference, Starting in the Classroom
There's been a lot of chatter in the media about helicopter parenting and raising kids with empathy. It seems we have upon us a generation of entitled kids who don't know how to cope or feel or dare I say, behave. Mac Daddy and I have always believed we are raising adults, not … [Read more...] about Making A World of Difference, Starting in the Classroom
Time May Change Me
Before there were Internet memes and inspirational quotes painted on distressed reclaimed wood, I jotted down favorite quotes in a journal. I have a series of journals from my teen years filled with angst, longing, and a yearning for belonging. The year was 1985. I scribbled … [Read more...] about Time May Change Me
Not All Children Are Blanketed in Love – Support SAFEchild
The other day two gigantic boxes arrived on the doorstep of SAFEchild. It appeared to be a mass quantity of toilet paper (Stranger things have happened, and yes, toilet paper is a need at any non-profit so there's that.). Upon further inspection of the boxes, we uncovered the … [Read more...] about Not All Children Are Blanketed in Love – Support SAFEchild
It’s OK to Have a Toy Gun…If You’re a White Kid
I see preppy white boys the same age as Tamir Rice carrying air soft guns in my neighborhood and in affluent neighborhoods near me. The longish hair swooshed over their eyes, ever so effortlessly coiffed. They are decked out in Nike shirts or Vineyard T-shirts emblazoned with the … [Read more...] about It’s OK to Have a Toy Gun…If You’re a White Kid
Merry Consumer
One of the hardest parts of parenting is imparting lessons to our children that we hope will stick and carry on through their lives. These are trying times, the height of the holiday season. Consumerism abounds as we substitute the cash register for the altar at … [Read more...] about Merry Consumer