My trip to a Maine lighthouse served as inspiration for a library lesson this year. I especially appreciate how I could incorporate my own learning with my professional learning to the benefit of my students. My experience with this lesson showed me that the stories in our lives have a way of connecting, if we pay attention to them! Read More

Have you noticed that the authors you share, the titles you display, the books you read to classes are often the ones that get checked out the most? Our populations are diverse and we need to be purposeful about the books we share (or "bless") so that they reflect our audience. Read More

It took me several years in education before I really started to see the students I was teaching. I had always seen a class of learners in front me. I had always valued their uniqueness, their individual passions, their distinct voices in our classroom community. But it wasn't until midway into my ninth year, long after earning tenure and a master's degree and National Board Certification, that how I viewed my students became so profoundly changed. This article is my attempt at communicating in words that which has been working in my heart since I first saw my students with this new clarity. Read More