Good Teachers Aren't Leaving Because of Bad Kids, Good Teachers are Leaving Because of Bad Principals.
As winter break comes to an end, so does a school's full staff. What was once frowned upon has now become acceptable, with some retired ed ucators encouraging burnt-out teachers to quit mid-year and prioritize themselves; a group often called "early-quitters." I decided to break my contract and become a statistic as one of five new teachers who quit within the first five years, with my last day with Norfolk Public Schools being January 16th. But it’s not the kids, the parent
Velcro Kids
"Velcro Kids" is a term used by teachers to describe students who lack understanding of personal space. These students are usually the first to grab a chair to make your desk, their desk. Sometimes, they are the students who sneak into your classroom during homeroom or a core that is not theirs because that adult becomes the "Attachment Figure" or "AF" (Bergin & Bergin, 2009). At other times, it is the kids who talk to you about everything except academics. However, most time
Graphic Novels are Graphic No's
I have an unofficial rule that students should not read graphic novels in my class. Graphic Novels are a genre that (in my opinion) is...
Southwest Flight 1532.
I flipped through the final book, fanning all the pages of A Severe Mercy, scared of what I'd find. Back and forth, back and forth, I...
Unfinished.
My dad used to say he couldn't keep up with me. As soon as I'd get a job or declare a major or make any career goal, I'd change it by the...
Very Respectfully, An Alone Military Spouse.
Tyler found my pregnancy test in the trashcan was the first incoherent, Klonopin-induced thought I wrote while I waited for a knight in...
I Hope My Ex Reads This.
I was a serial dater with a chronic condition called rebounding. I was self-diagnosed around 13 years old but it was steadily managed...
I'm Doing Better Than You.
I’ve lived alone in a drinking town with a sailing problem for 15 months. My mornings start when I want them to, with whomever I want (or...
Only Men Can Have That.
Happy Women's History Month. Normally my writing wheel makes a hard left at topics like these, but I've been thinking and I want to...
My Circle Stopped Clapping For Me
A few nights ago I was driving back to Lancaster. I had Mate asleep in my passenger seat and a half-eaten Chinese take-out meal on my...
