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...

I’ve done it in the past, and I wasn’t going to do it again.

#OneWord

I spent days pondering what my #OneWord would be to guide me for the upcoming year. I recall that my word for 2017 was #Balance. In 2018, it was #Purposeful. Last year, it was #C...

I've been actively practicing deep listening for the past several years to better understand another's perspective. I say "deep listening" because when the topic is related to a core value or a previous "hurt," my initial response is to feel an emoti...

My dear friend and ResEd colleague, Sheila, often posts about JOY SPOTTING (Find her on IG at https://www.instagram.com/positively.sheila/). During the week, she takes pictures of people and things that bring her joy and then curates them into a post...

I've never written resolutions or yearly goals because I've never been able to keep consistent with them.

I've resisted and resented time constraints.

I've yearned for the destination and neglected the journey.

And instead of feeling excited abou...

Long before it was called social-emotional learning (SEL), I was weaving these principles into my high school social studies classroom. Initially, I did so implicitly by building community, cultivating empathy, and promoting reflection without naming...

I’ve worn glasses since the third grade. That means I’ve sat in an optometrist’s chair dozens of times, answering the familiar question:
“Which lens is clearer—1 or 2? 2 or 3?”

Each time, I’m amazed by how much sharper things can become—even when I ...

I drove past a farm with a large sign that read, “DUCK EGGS FOR SALE.” I immediately felt nauseous by the idea of eating a duck egg. Ducks are the cute creatures that I see swimming on ponds and in funny gifs and memes. Why would I want to EAT one?