Inside Bell's Brain

I was eating lunch with a friend recently, and of course, we were talking about the upcoming school year.  She knows how this past year was a struggle for me personally and professionally as I learned to balance my life and navigate my health and well-being.  She and I both expressed our concerns over all the decisions being made in light of the COVID situation, but neither of us really had a better answer or alternative.  There are risks and problems no matter what the powers that be decide, so we just have to have faith. I told her I was thankful for my summer and glad for all the projects I've been able to work on.  I told her that I appreciated the break and change of pace, and while I wanted to stretch summer a little longer (as teachers always do), I was ready to try again.  I was (I am) ready for a new year and to put this past year behind.  Then I blurted, "I am just ready to be successful again this year... but I don't even know what that looks lik...

I adapted and expanded this from an earlier Facebook post that I wrote for my personal wall.  I have added to it to explain a little bit more of what's been on my mind and what I've done about it since the original post.  I've gone back and forth (and back again) for most of the quarantine.  It's been so distressing trying to establish any kind of normalcy to the anything-but-normal state that we're living in right now.  But I've been reflecting a lot this year on understanding people's needs.  Of course, this has been a journey for me as a newlywed, but I think there are applications beyond that most intimate of relationships.  I think when we seek to understand what makes one another "tick", even in a professional sense, truly magnificent things can result. That said, I'm undeniably a words of affirmation love language girl.  My second highest-ranked love language is quality time, but it's just something about those words... especial...

I'm joining up with Mrs. D's Corner this week for the Building Blocks of B2S (Back to School) .  I was a little late to the party last week, but I'm jumping in on week 2 for "building relationships." Teachers have major shoes to fill, so to speak.  Chris Lehmann said, "People send us their most precious resource ; they send us their kids every day... Short of, like, a brain surgeon, I can't think of a profession where people are placing greater trust in the professionals than teaching...and it is our job to be worthy ."  What great truth there is in that statement, and we must rise to the call of being worthy. One profound indicator, in my opinion, of a person's worthiness is the way he or she treats other people .  Not just those who can do something for them, not just those from whom they will get something in the future.  What do you do when you think no one is watching?  Do you help others?  Do you belittle those who you perceiv...

Summer is gone , and teachers across the nation are gearing up for an awesome 2015-2016 school year.  My summer went by so quickly that there were several posts and linkies that I was unable to do for time's sake.  So I've made lemonade from lemons and decided to "double dip" on these two-part posts.  In this post, I'll join up with Mrs. D's Corner and several other teachers to share my goals and dreams for the year ahead (and what went right last year).   Let me start with the part 1 of this post... looking back .  This was the part that I missed earlier this year, but you can't properly look forward until what's behind you is in perspective.  Communication My parent communication was stronger than ever this last year.  I opened a private class Facebook group/page for my students and their parents.  We share our classroom photos, ask questions, translate school announcements, and more on this page.  I believe it has been a ...