The Teacher I'm Becoming

  Week 15 – Turning the Page Happy Post-Thanksgiving and Pre-Christmas! While I had the week off to reflect, I learned a few things—and I thought I would share. This Thanksgiving was anything but normal. I broke a fever the night before, and both of my girls were so upset because we had planned to drive to Sarasota to visit my brother. In the end, though, it worked out for the best. My dad is still recovering from a UTI, and being close to home was exactly what we all needed. I spent the day watching the parade and sleeping while the girls spent time with their dad. Since my oldest had Friday off, we braved the mall together on the busiest shopping day of the year! Sometimes it can feel like life hands us a rough stack of cards. There’s no way to avoid it—you just have to walk through it. I’m grateful for my family, coworkers, and friends who make this life a little brighter simply because they’re in it. The days when I’ve been fully present and the days when I haven’t—every part o...

  Week 14 – A Heart Full, Even in the Hard I walked into Monday carrying a little heaviness, still processing the “what-ifs” after my dad’s hospital stay for a UTI. I distracted myself the only way I know how—by sticking tightly to my schedule. Many students were out sick, but in the afternoon I had my informal observation with my assistant principal. I chose to work on central idea using a Wonders leveled reader. I was so nervous that I completely forgot one of the main worksheets I had created to connect the central idea of informational text to supporting details. Preparing for an observation always comes with a lot of moving pieces, especially when you’re teaching in someone else’s classroom and can’t predict the environment. One of the students decided to goof off for most of the time, and when I explained explicit vs. implicit details, he asked, “You mean like cuss words and stuff?”—referring to explicit content. It made me laugh, and overall, the lesson went very well. ...

Week 13 – Go in His Grace This week began with a focus on prayer. I committed to a new week, accepting the responsibility to show up and fulfill my role—whatever may come. I worked with students on problem-solving and started a new leveled reader for small groups. I also had a follow-up meeting about last week’s IEP and was humbled to learn that my voice  was  heard, even when the outcome didn’t make sense to me at the time. I was met with understanding and patience. When I admitted that my confidence has been shaky in this position, I received encouragement and reassurance about my abilities. I left the day feeling respect and admiration for the leaders above me. On Tuesday, I supported students with behavior and provided services to a student working in an alternate setting due to discipline. I learned so much from that experience. I am patient—but patience still has its limits. This student tries every possible strategy to avoid work, even with breaks and high reinforcement...

🌿  Week 12: Choosing Gratitude in the Uncomfortable This week, I made the conscious choice to lead with gratitude. I knew my mindset had to shift if I was going to give my best — not just to my students, but to myself. Each morning, my daughter Abby and I started our day by sharing something we were thankful for at school. It was grounding and intentional — a reminder that even in hard seasons, there is good worth naming. Monday I began the week thankful for my administration and ready to reset my mindset. A morning in-house meeting reminded me that I am not alone in collecting data and that sometimes support shows up where you least expect it. I left that meeting with clarity and a lighter load. Throughout the day, I worked across grade levels — from SIPPS decoding polysyllabic words to practicing partial differences in math to coaching students on plot structure in a leveled reader. I even stretched my comfort zone by teaching small group inside the general education classroom. ...

  Week 11 — “Finding Gratitude in the Hard” This week, I began to feel discouraged. Every day felt heavy, and each morning I struggled to find the motivation to walk through the school doors. Monday set the tone early, and before I could settle in,the day was moving at full speed. One student started the day struggling from something that happened before he even arrived at school. His behavior reflected it all day long. Even though he wasn’t on my schedule, I had him join my 5th-grade reading group just to reset. After time to decompress, he was able to return to class calm and ready. Moments like this remind me how crucial it is to seek the  “why”  behind behavior — especially for students with autism. Everyone has hard days. He didn’t need consequences — he needed understanding and a reset button. At the end of Monday, I learned I would be completing an initial IEP for a student I’d never worked with before. I’ve never written an initial IEP on my own — all my students ...