It makes me sick that in one day, 182 teachers across the district lost their jobs because of a budget shortfall – as if they were simply a line item like school supplies or after-school clubs. It makes me sick that the ones who signed up for this unglamorous job of loving kids even when… Continue reading Teachers Are a Necessity, Not a Commodity
I promise to get to know you and care about what’s important to you. I promise to listen to your voice and value your opinion. I promise to believe the best of you, no matter what has happened in previous years or even previous days. I promise to forgive you when your actions have hurt… Continue reading A Pledge to My Students
Research has shown that reading aloud to kids greatly increases their love for literature – but unfortunately, making time for “read-aloud” has been pushed off the table for many teachers. It can be understandable, what with all the demands for other things that have to be taught. But even though I feel this tug myself,… Continue reading Favorite Classroom Read-Alouds
There is a frightening 21st-century predator lurking in the shadows for our children. And it comes in the form of unmonitored access to social media and Internet content. If you’re in your teens or twenties, you might be thinking, “Yeah, yeah – adults have been going on and on about the dangers of the Internet… Continue reading How Many “Reasons Why” Do We Need?
When people ask me how the fourth year of teaching went, I unashamedly say, “It was the best year yet!” And they might be inclined to smile to themselves and think, “That’s just optimistic Lydia, always seeing the bright side.” It is the bright side – I’m not saying that the year was perfect,… Continue reading Year 4 of Teaching: Learning to Love Them Like Never Before
I am not a parent. I’ve never given birth to a child and guided it through infancy into childhood and then into teenhood and adulthood. I haven’t had to be in charge of potty training and teething and discipline and all of those other fun things I see my friends and sisters go through with… Continue reading Dear Parents: Thank You for Investing in Each Other & in Your Kids
I don’t have all the answers to gun laws and the rise of mass shootings. I can’t solve the sin and the suffering in people’s hearts. I can’t fix the trauma that children and teens have gone through. But I have chosen the career of a teacher. And that means that I have every obligation… Continue reading I Am Only One Teacher. But I Pledge to Make a Difference.
