Through my years of teaching I encountered 3 principals and 3-4 administrators.  They were each so different and inspired me in many ways.  There were rules, expectations “buy-ins,” situations and opportunities for me to learn.  I had always aspired to be an administrator so my first principal position was one of my favorites.  I want to share with you some of the things I did, that I learned from my supportive administrators.  The goal for me was to always support, engage, encourage and let...

Every summer I tried to prioritize what I was going to do to get ready for the next school year.  I wanted my classroom to be engaging, fun, inviting and a place that I wanted to be each day.  This will give you ideas on things you can do this summer to refresh for the fall And Prepare for a fantastic first week of school!

1. Pick a theme:  Each year I liked to have a new...

During my time as an elementary teacher, I’ve seen gifted kids stress out.

I remember the time a student began crying and screaming, saying his “parents were going to kill him” because he didn’t get all As on his report card. One child would crawl under the desk and shake whenever he got less than a 90 percent on a test. Others would just break down, telling me they were tired of everyone expecting too much from them, or complain how the students outside of the gifted program would...