DAIS ~ Releasing the {un}expected
What a great week it’s been! With the welcome rest of a snow day on Monday, we were still able to wrap up our units and enjoy a little holiday spirit as well in my classes this week. Here’s my bit of unexpected joy for the week ~ As I eagerly await to moments […]
DAIS ~ Expecting the Unexpected
For many teachers and students, this marks the final week before the holiday break. As I enjoy a hot cup of coffee on this blustery afternoon in mid-Michigan, I also know many of my colleagues students are wondering if tomorrow will bring our first snow day. In our household, a snow day means our whole […]
DAIS ~ Gratitude
Be sure to click the icon to check out other teachers’ Day in a Sentence submission for this week too! They should be released on Sunday! The last couple of weeks each year are filled with countdowns and remembrances of the past year, and from the time I was in middle school, I can vividly […]

SOLS: Magic Eye
I remember the one and only magic eye image I saw. It was printed in the puzzle section of our small-town newspaper and I stumbled across it as I sat flipping pages in my grandparent’s kitchen. When Grandpa saw it, he stopped me. “Oh, this was fun. You should try it,” he encouraged. Coming closer […]
Out of sight…but NOT out of mind
As I sit here, thinking about what my students will be reading, learning, and discussing with their guest teacher today while I join area colleagues to read, learn, and discuss, I find myself with mixed feelings. It is always so powerful to come together with other teachers to discuss our practices and work through issues […]

~ Happy Thanksgiving ~
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and […]

Look what I found…
this sounds eerily familiar, don’t you think? Check back soon to see how this “evidence” was uncovered! 🙂
National Day on Writing
With modified schedules due to state testing, the end of the first quarter on the horizon, the anticipation the first school dance next week, the expected sugar-buzz of Halloween and the promise of no school the day after – today’s celebration of the National Day on Writing was the perfect opportunity to celebrate the often […]
Book Club Discussion ~ Mockingjay
Remember to pick up your Book Discussion form in class today so you can receive extra credit for attending and participating in the Book Club Discussion of Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. This last book in The Hunger Games trilogy, which has created quite a passion for reading, is sure to spark some lively discussion! For […]
Day in a Sentence
This week Lynn, all the way from California, has asked us to think about what we’re doing at this time of year to take care of ourselves and our students now that we’re settled into the school routine, but in some need of a hiatus. Truthfully, while I often *think* about rejuvenation and replenishment, it’s […]
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