I've always disliked the word "average" especially in correlation to student growth. Yes, I know it's a common word, and yes, I realize you have to have SOME word to represent the middle-of-the-road achievement. But "average" has always struck a nerve with me because of its lackluster negativity: not really awful, but not that great… Continue reading Celebrating the Average Child
The Price of Service
Each year his face surfaces in my mind, like a soft, gentle reminder of what could have been. He was a childhood friend sharing elementary classes and his silly grin is vivid now as if he was still sitting near me in class, whispering a joke he knew would cause someone to laugh at an… Continue reading The Price of Service
Kindness Share Fair 2019
It's a busy time of year, my friends. If you are an educator, you might be nodding in agreement to the statement above. If you are a parent, you might be nodding, too. The start of May seems to bring a rapid-fire season of events in our lives. The weather is warmer and our days… Continue reading Kindness Share Fair 2019
Two Years
Two years. Each day this week I have glanced at the calendar, the bright days of April quickly transforming into May. I didn't want to turn the page to a new month; I wanted to freeze April for just a little bit longer, just as I had two years ago. Just a little more time.… Continue reading Two Years
Texas Kindness: Character Strong
What does it mean to be "Character Strong?" I have pondered this question, allowing it to swirl a bit in my mind, ever since I returned from my visit to Houston, Texas in March. During that trip, I was graciously allowed to tag along with Barbara Gruener as she and other kindness cultivators around the… Continue reading Texas Kindness: Character Strong
Texas Kindness: Jet Stream Jax
The third visit in our Texas Kindness Tour was meeting a very special student named Jet Stream Jax. If you've been following my blog for a while, you may recognize his name from my Remixing Relevance post in October 2017 where I shared about his community of Friendswood, Texas receiving catastrophic damage from Hurricane Harvey… Continue reading Texas Kindness: Jet Stream Jax
Texas Kindness: Kids Deserve It
The second stop of my kindness tour with Barbara Gruener was visiting Webb Elementary School to meet principal, Todd Nesloney, author of Stories from Webb and co-author of Kids Deserve It and Sparks in the Dark. I met Todd in 2014 when we both presented Ignite sessions for the ISTE Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. In… Continue reading Texas Kindness: Kids Deserve It
Texas Kindness: Kind Kids
On my first #REBkind trip, I visited Houston, Texas and neighboring locations to meet kindness cultivators and learn more about character education. I was blessed beyond measure by the hospitality of Barbara Gruener (@BarbaraGruener), author of What’s Under Your Cape: SUPERHEROES of the Character Kind. She not only opened her home to me as a… Continue reading Texas Kindness: Kind Kids
April Fools’ Kindness
It's the first day of April and you know what that means - a day filled with jokes, pranks, and "Gotcha!" moments left and right. For us, it's the first day of Spring Break and it's a Monday, so I decided to do something fun just because I could. It's also the week that many… Continue reading April Fools’ Kindness
Three Weeks of Joy
Three weeks ago, my life changed forever. On February 14, 2019 - Valentine's Day - I became a published author. It was a bucket-list, milestone moment that ranked almost as high as my goals to become a wife, a mom, and a teacher. It fulfilled a promise I made to my mom on the last… Continue reading Three Weeks of Joy
