Dear Teacher, 

My professional goal for 2020-2021 school year, was to become better at integrating and using technology specifically in the remote/blended setting. I am pretty good with technology but it is an area that I want to improve in. 

Each month I have been taking a different class and decided this one the one for December. I am so happy and have learned so much in the first few days!  

​Dear Teacher, 

Day 1 is here! Are you as excited as I am to begin this study?  

Below are the questions for the introduction, chapter 1, and chapter 2. We begin our study with discussing the memorable and forgettable lessons we teach. How can we revamp this in our classroom so every lesson is a memory? 

Dear Teacher, 

Have you ever heard of Ditch Summit? Me neither. I was reading through a pile of emails today and what would appear but an invite from my district to attend this event. 

I have several of Matt Miller's books on my shelf, collecting dust and waiting to be read, but as with all things COVID, it hasn't made it to top of the list yet. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to hear what he has to say. 

It starts tomorrow and is free! Free I can do!

Dear Teacher, 

The Ditch Summit has inspired me to shake the dust off of Matt Miller's books and start reading. I am hoping to discover some additional information that I can add to my growing list of tech skills that I have gained thanks to the COVID pandemic. 

The first book I grabbed was Tech like a Pirate. This is a short 124 pages that was easy to read. Ready to join me? 

Dear Teacher, 

How important is a good computer? I have an old dinosaur of a model (6 years old) and it is slow but I thought it was holding its own until Remote Learning. I quickly learned this old dinosaur wasn't enough! I don't speak computer so what do I buy? 

Dear Teacher, 

We have all been dreaming of bigger salaries and with the first check of the year coming in on Friday, this has been on my mind a lot.

It is true, teachers are not paid enough. It is also true that we knew this when we pursued our careers but that doesn't mean that it is right or it should stay this way. However, we all know there is no money to pay teachers more. 

We know how to think outside the box. How can we pay teachers more without paying them more? 

Dear Teacher, 

Every where I look, it seems our country is fighting against itself asking who matters more. I really can't see a winner in all of this but I do know it is impacting the students in my classroom. To become better prepared to teach in the fall, I decided to read Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain by Zaretta Hammond. I have heard a lot of great things about this book. Who is ready to join me? 

Dear Teacher, 

After COVID-19, everyone of the students in our classroom will have faced trauma. They will have a piece of the puzzle that makes them whole missing. There will be some students with only one missing piece while others will be missing a lot. As we look forward toward the fall, I wanted to be ready to embark upon a journey to be better prepared to meet the social-emotional needs of my students. 

My local ROE is hosting a book study over the course of the next 8 weeks where we will be digging deep into how we can better serve students with trauma in our classrooms. Each week I will add my thoughts to this post. Who is ready to join me this summer? 

Let's take a walk back to 2012. A teacher by the name of Deanna Jump spent many hours emailing and inspiring me to become the teacher I always dreamed of. Later that year, she became TPT first millionaire teacher. Her fame didn't stop her passion but only compelled her to reach further and do more. My friend has a heart of GOLD! 

In the past few years, Deanna along with several other teachers I admire got together to take our field to new heights! It is THE professional development party/experience of the year and this year... it is going virtual! 

With remote learning well under way, connecting with students has become the biggest obstacle to remote learning.

Only a few months ago, I would stand at my classroom door to greet my students. I eagerly awaited their arrival to here the stories from the night before, for hugs, high fives, and fist bumps. I looked forward to smiles, reconnecting, and preparing for the day ahead. 

Now I sit at a computer in my home waiting for Dojo messages, pictures, or schedule a virtual meeting using Google Meet. This is the perfect choice for those using Google Classroom.