We're Down With HOC, Yeah You Know Me

December is a busy month, everyone thinks so. To ask teachers to try something new, something out of their comfort zone during this busy time is a border-line crazy thing for a person in my position to...

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It Sounds Like the Hunger Games, Mom

I learn things every day by being the mother of two middle school boys. The most recent thing they have introduced me to have been the Hunger Games movies. Up until a few weeks ago, I had not seen any of the three movies. But, when my husband and I agreed to a marathon catch-up session on the first...

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"PDG" PD

Thanksgiving is over, and it's back to the daily grind. It's the busiest time of year, when all educators try to cram as much as we can into the three weeks leading up to Christmas. For me, it is attempting to fit all of the PD sessions in that I need to in a short month. The part of my job that I enjoy...

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It's Politics, Or Is It?

As my followers may have gleaned from my Twitter posts last week, I had the opportunity to spend a few days in our nation's capital, discussing and collaborating about the changes in our country's education...

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Mind Your Manners: A Reminder to Thank Those Who Have Helped Us Along the Way

If you have a mother, or are one yourself, you are certainly familiar with the phrase "Mind Your Manners". My own mother would say these words to me every time I neglected to say "please" or "thank you" when I was growing up.  I have said these words to my own children as well, in an effort to...

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Human Bandwidth Manager

Over the weekend I was excited to find an email from Netflix announcing that Season 4 of Portlandia was now available for streaming. I never have time to actually watch television shows when they are on in real time and most often resort to binge watching them during long weekends and holidays....

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Beyond the Mailbox

I began my first teaching job in 1999.  For those of you who were tricked by my youthful appearance, I’ve been doing this teaching thing for a little while now. ;)  I was hired by a man who is hands down the best educational mentor anyone could ask for.  I’ll never forget him walking...

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#ClockOutStachler

#ClockOutStachler: An affectionate hashtag developed by a long-time friend and fellow YCS teacher. This hashtag has been used by several others on occasion when I text, tweet, or email them with a school related idea or tip on the weekend or in the evening. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve earned it. Since...

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The Power of Play

Play is a necessary.  This was the message that was shared during our September tech professional development sessions at Yorktown Community Schools.  After watching clips that contained the wise words of Kevin Carroll, ISTE Keynote Speaker 2014, YCS teachers were asked to reflect on how...

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