Donate Now This teaching business is turning out to be a lot harder than it looks.  I’m not naturally a mean or authoritative person, and some of my (oh-so-perceptive) students have chosen to use that as an excuse to push any (and every) button they can.  I have at least one kid who already knows…

Donate Now Well, my first real day, anyway.  Yesterday, theoretically, was my first day as Ms. G.  But it was a special day–diagnostics and a memorial service kept us from doing any actual instruction, even simple introductions or rules and procedures. But oh, where to begin?? Middle school kids are a special breed.  Academically, they…

Over the last few days, we’ve been listening, talking, thinking, and learning a lot about being teachers.  As I learn about unit plans and lesson plans, classroom management skills, rules and consequences, TAKS objectives and literacy assessments, it is becoming more and more real to me:  I am a teacher.  And in a few days,…

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.  We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?  Actually, who are you not to be?  Your playing small does not…

The infamous institute has begun. I’m not sure what, exactly, I expected. This is part summer camp, part playing grown-up, and part teacher training. There’s a lot of energy, and a lot of passion. I’m a little amazed at how many people are here, learning to teach, ready to go change the world. I’m pretty…