All students learn at a different pace and we need to honor the time it takes for all students to participate and engage with the learning in a way that makes sense to each of them. Let's try not to unintentionally take that opportunity away from them.

Admin, spend time setting goals with your teachers. Agree upon what they want to work on and then visit frequently, looking for the specific areas the teachers set goals on. Provide them feedback beyond "that was good". Try to be specific in where they are applying strategies and if they aren't applying any strategies, provide some for them or put them in touch with another teacher who does it well already who can help.

Guest Post by Barbara Silkes George Matthew Adams, a popular newspaper columnist at the turn of the 19th century, once said, "Every one of us, unconsciously, works out a personal philosophy of life, by which we are guided, inspired, and corrected, as time goes on. It is this philosophy by which we measure out our days, and by which we advertise to all about us - the man, or woman, that we are. . . . It takes but a brief time to scent the life philosophy of anyone. It is defined in the conversation, in the look of the eye, and in ...

As we consider what is best for students, we must remember that they are more than a number. Let's provide them with the feedback they need to progress, the language they need to reflect on learning and the strategies to keep growing.

There are many ways to communicate learning with students. Whether providing comments on Google docs, sending Voxes or short videos, teachers have many means to effectively communicate with their learners. We need to know our students well enough to select the best means for each one. Know how your students like to hear feedback and then do your best to provide it in that manner.

In five minutes, with no props or preparation, I shared with passion the direction we need to go to serve all students in education - away from grades, testing, homework and toward a more authentic, experiential, portfolio-based learning experience that prizes all students in an equitable way.

Being an educator requires constant reflection. Every choice and action should be transparent and thoughtful and connected to the district-wide goals. Accessing my strengths, focusing my energy on being attentive to the needs of those on our team is essential for my continued growth as an educator and person. So I'm just going to keep pushing, keeping the big picture in mind without allowing the daily minutia to get me down. We simply can't sweat the small stuff, just keep moving forward.

It takes time to grow a garden and to build a team. This year, I wasn't sure that I had made any impact, but now over time, the changes are starting to happen. So lets plant seeds and do whatever it takes to ensure their growth.

My early teaching days were littered with crazy mishaps and expectations that often mimicked my perfectionist student ways. Always eager to please and be the best version of myself, I tirelessly worked to be a perfect teacher and (as you can imagine) often failed to meet that mark. Teaching is an art and it takes time to master, but I almost never factored in my lack of teaching experience into the expectation. After all, I was a great student, so I should have been able to be awesome at teaching immediately. Wrong! Of course, I know that now, but as ...

Those thanks that we share do make the hard days easier, but there is no reason for them to only to occur during teacher appreciation week. Educators should and can be acknowledged and appreciated every day school is in session.