Category Archives: Uncategorized

Believe it or not, this episode marks the start of the fifth season of Inspire & Innovate: A Podcast for Educators.  This little podcast has seen a lot: from the start of the pandemic when we used video chat to connect us with thought leaders across the country; to a summer set of with storiesContinue reading “Launching Season 5 of the Podcast: Reframing Accountability”

This is a story of us.  This is a story of caring teachers planning the stuff students do to show their learning.  This is a story of well-meaning administrators giving advice.  This is a (yet another) story of best intentions. Interestingly, the same very sentence (via a quick convo on the sidewalk, an email, aContinue reading “Lesson Planning/Lesson Coaching as Best Intentions”

Shea and I had the distinct joy this past weekend of analyzing first grader’s spelling tests.  These weren’t, though, just any spelling tests.  They were inventories designed to give educators pointed cues regarding each student’s distinct spelling developmental stage.  I’m not going to lie.  It was FASCINATING to see the range of ways that studentsContinue reading “The One-Size-Fits-All Spelling List”

This post was contributed by Saana Watson. Saints@Home. I could write a book about this but I’ll try to keep it short! It was June 2020 when I was asked to help design and teach in this new, innovative program in which our youngest Saints (PreK3-1st grade) get a teacher to come to their houseContinue reading “An Inside Look at Saints @ Home”

Authored by: Hollie Marjanovic Here we are already into one month of school and talking about good intentions.  When I heard this topic, I thought about the saying “the road to hell was paved with good intentions.”  So, I hope that the choice of this topic was not because we are all thinking that theContinue reading “Best Intentions”

Submitted by Michelle Portera

Paul Smith, our fabulous new Senior Level English Teacher, is the kind of new community member that so easily and quickly became a part of the fabric of our school that it feels like he’s been here forever. So it didn’t come as a surprise when he shared a fabulous teaching strategy the other day,Continue reading “Reframing Student Work as Best Intentions: Reflection as a Pedagogical Tool”

Authored by Mary McCall McArthur August 1: Check email. Read Back to School Faculty Agenda. Make childcare and meal prep plans for days I’ll work in my room after PD time. August 2: Check email. Read they’re looking for breakout sessions. I might have something that can help? August 4: Thanks to childcare, by 7:30Continue reading “Thoughts & Fragments of a 1st Grade Teacher Mom: A Timeline Leading Up to Meet the Teacher”

Our esSAy is back for the 22-23 school year, and we are fresh-faced.  Welcome (from left to right) to Hollie Marjanovic (US), Kim Sewell (ECC), Michelle Portera (LS), Rachel Scott (LS), and Brad P–. ..I mean Buck Cooper (MS). (I promise to replace this image with the real Buck ASAP!) We are also fresh-themed.  AndContinue reading “We are back and we have themes!: September 2022 we delve deep into “Best Intentions””

We forget, especially when we are deep in the weeds of the school year and our work and our lives, how important it is to simply have fun. As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry says in The Little Prince, “All grown-ups were once children … but only a few of them remember it.” And I think thisContinue reading “The Importance of Fun”

A fully dressed maypole is a stunning sight, even during rehearsals. It’s Friday, known around here as “May Day,” and the fourth grade has just completed their final dress rehearsal before this evening.  I’m standing to the left of the field next to the 70 empty fold out chairs, getting a little sad all ofContinue reading “May Day, 4th Grade Crossing, and Teaching Assistant Nostalgia”

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, itContinue reading “If this school year was a mixed tape: Top hits of 2021-2022”

If you really stop and think about it, teaching middle school is a pretty impossible proposition. Imagine convincing a room of 15-20 youth going through all the physical and emotional and social turmoil of puberty that complying with your plan for the next 75 minutes involving rigorous academic study is the way to go. AndContinue reading “Final Episode of Bridging the Faculty/Admin Divide: Discipline & Restorative Practices”

Authored by Marty Kelly (The following is adapted from a speech given to the Jackson Area Association of Independent Schools) (Also, I’m really sorry if you are tired of the “It’s gonna be May” meme, but I’m even sorrier if you don’t understand it because that means you missed out on the glory that wasContinue reading “Gaudeamus Igitur: It’s Gonna be… Nay, It IS May!”

So many of the issues and misunderstandings that arise between faculty and admin result from long histories, things that happened in the past in an institution, habits of interaction, and a lack of adaptability or willingness to change.  Well what if you had a blank slate? A fresh start? All smooth sailing? We are goingContinue reading “Starting Fresh: Building Community with Admin & Faculty at Foundations (Episode 5)”

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to teach art to first graders or Spanish to seniors? Ever curious how a head of school spends their day?  In this week’s episode, we share stories and lived realities from three distinct vantage points: Nancy Rivas (Co -Chair of the Department of World and Classical Languages), JessicaContinue reading ““A Day in the Life”: Episode 4 in Bridging the Faculty/Admin Divide”

We’re back, and we’ve got an incredible, honest episode unpacking teacher support featuring two thought-provoking lower school guests: Michelle Portera (first grade teacher) and Shea Egger (lower school head).  Spoiler alert, I almost named this episode with various combinations of the following nouns: authenticity, vulnerability, trust and connection.   Check out snippets from host Rachel Scott’sContinue reading “Episode 3 Drops on “Bridging the Faculty/Admin Divide”: Unpacking Teacher Support with Rachel Scott, Michelle Portera, and Shea Egger”

As far as engaging learning activity tricks go, I’ve got to admit . . . . I have a soft spot for Shark Tank.  Simulating this “reality-TV-meets-business-board-room” has all the stuff I love about a great teaching/learning setup: collaboration, performance, speaking/listening, competition, role play, application, and authentic audience.  Typically, though, I see Shark Tank utilizedContinue reading “Shark Tank Meets HISTORY Class?!”

This week’s episode in our season of bridging the faculty/admin divide: Greatness.  What do faculty think make a good administrator? What do administrators think make a great faculty member?  And is there a way we can  all miraculously inch that direction together?  I was lucky to be joined by three incredibly great humans to discussContinue reading “Bridging the Faculty/Admin Divide (Ep 2): On Greatness”