You may know I have three sons - two biological and one bonus son (stepson). They are my daily motivation to put good energy into the world, inspire me to be and do better, and model for me what authentic growth entails. 

Jared and I had a conversat...

As I write this, I am heading home from a two-week trip that included traveling to Hawaii and Florida. I was fortunate to mix bits of vacation time while working in a school in Hawaii and presenting at the Florida Learning Forward Conference. 

I rec...

I was in third grade when my family moved to a new school district. It was just after winter break, and my new classmates had already settled into their routines, inside jokes, and lunch table rituals. I arrived as "the new kid"—unsure of where to si...

Two weeks ago, my friend Linda and I were having breakfast in a restaurant when I saw her attention go to the booth behind me to the left. Before I could figure out what was happening, she said to them, “That’s okay; we are both teachers and boy moms...

The beach has always been my “happy place” - the one location where I ponder life, have deep conversations with my three siblings, and play with my boys. 

A few weeks ago, I stood knee-deep in the Atlantic Ocean and watched as the waves rolled towar...

By May 2019, my husband and I had saved enough to take our three boys to Italy to visit his sister and extended family. His parents were born and raised just south of Rome, and the opportunity to explore their roots while making new memories felt lik...

Two weeks ago, I attended a conference of my fellow ASCD Emerging Leaders. We are a group of educators who bonded together through our experiences in the two-year program sponsored by ASCD.

For many of us, the last time we convened was in Fall 2019 ...

While working in a district a few weeks ago, I ran into a colleague with whom I had taken doctoral classes. I shared that I’d be defending my dissertation in a few weeks. I was a little embarrassed to share that it has taken me nine years to get to t...

Today, I worked with 120 high school students on topics that THEY wanted to discuss - identity, diversity, inclusion, equity, allyship. I was inspired by their passion and commitment to making their area of the world a more inclusive space.

During t...

I often picture the five SEL competencies—self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making—as individual continuums. Throughout the day, I mentally check in with myself: Where am I right now on e...

In a past newsletter, I mentioned that I am the mom of three teenage boys. 

My oldest son turned 20 in October of 2021. He is a sophomore in college now - a deeply thoughtful man who takes his time to process factors before making decisions. He love...

HELP and ADVICE NEEDED!

"Progress over Perfection." This has been my mantra for the past three weeks, ever since I publicly wrote that my 2022 goal was to STRETCH myself - 15 minutes of workout, 15 minutes of reading, 15 minutes of mindfulness.

I a...