The Sunrise Story

Questions. I have questions bouncing around my head. Questions mean wonder and curiosity. Questions are good. I don't have answers, so instead, I'm going to pose my questions... School?   How can I make it better?   What is my role as a teacher? Classroom organization? What's the best way to work with other teachers? How do I connect with students? What do grades really mean? How do I get better and meet their needs? How can school look different? Why do I do what I'm doing in the classroom? How do I balance technology and analog learning? Are tests necessary? Why? What is their purpose? How do they make us better learners? How can students demonstrate their learning in a meaningful way? How do I help them grow and learn? How can I find a way to better organize their notebooks? What books will help them fall in love with reading? What will make a difference to my students? Why? I'm not looking for answers. (And most ...

Questions: What should I write today? What does success look like to me? Why are does everything move so fast? Why does life seem endlessly busy with all of our modern conveniences? How do we fix this? What book is your favorite? How are there people who don't read? Why are we sad and stressed and overwhelmed? How do I stay healthy when everything is dangerous? What information do I trust? How do I make things better? What do I do now? Questions & Answers: What should I write today? This. What does success look like to me? A life filled with JOY and LOVE. Why are does everything move so fast? Breathe and take it all in. How is life busier with all of our modern conveniences? More to manage, more to do. How do we fix this?  Be mindful. What book are you reading now? The Sun is Also a Star. How are there people who don't read? This I will never understand. Why are we sad and stressed and overwhelmed? Everyone has a story. How...

Thank you to Stacey, Betsy, Dana, Tara, Beth, Anna, Kathleen & Deb for this amazing platform to write and share writing! What a wonderful community you've created! I'm honored to be part of it. Join us at Two Writing Teachers . I was given this challenge by the amazing Peter Anderson . Here are his answers. I waited to respond so I could include this in the SOLC. Here are the five questions and my answers… 1. What has been your one biggest struggle this school year? Finding time to get everything done. 2. Share two accomplishments that you are proud of this school year. I’m proud of my students participating in Fine Arts Night reading their own original poetry. I’m proud of the connections they’ve made with our first grade blogging buddies in Ohio. (One more, I’m proud that one-third of my students stepped up to take the slice of life blogging challenge, where they blog every day for the month of March!) 3. What are three things you wish to accomplis...

Thank you to Stacey, Betsy, Dana, Tara, Beth, Anna, Kathleen & Deb for this amazing platform to write and share writing! What a wonderful community you've created! I'm honored to be part of it. Join us at Two Writing Teachers . Zora Neale Hurston's words are floating around in my head, "There are years that ask questions and years that answer." I notice that I am filled with questions and I wonder if this year will provide any answers. Am I where I'm supposed to be? What is a good teacher? Am I a good teacher? Am I meeting the needs of my students? How can I better meet their needs? How am I at working on a team? Am I stubborn and close-minded? Am I helpful to others? Do I challenge my students? What do my students think? What am I supposed to do? What does success look like? Who defines that? What's important? Am I good enough? How can I be better?  When my students walk out of my classroom, what do I want them to know, feel, be? Ho...