Ms. M's Tales of a Teacher: My Personal Teacher Blog

Today was one of reflection for me. I admit that I wasn't able to accomplish most of the tasks on my to-do list, and although it agitated my type- A personality and need for organization, I know my time was spent well supporting my own need of re-energizing so I can continue to plow forward and inspire others.  I feel as teachers it's our compelling nature to uplift those around us; our students, their families, and of course, each other. I've been blessed to have a great support system around me through both the best moments and my lowest, but every so often, human nature sets in and I loose sight of that. Never does it fail that when I am down, someone is there to uplift me. Whether it be my colleagues at school or my fellow Kadelpians, the kinship is real.  To serve people takes dignity and intelligence. The certitude that teachers manage to serve a wide-range of people is perhaps the most resonating aspect of who they are, and what they do. I've felt for the longest

It's no secret that one of my most beloved activities is learning. My friends might call it "her wheels are spinning again" or "your brain never turns" off moments... or worse,  "never stopping syndrome." I laugh in spite of myself because, well, it's true. Why am I like this, truthfully I have no idea. I have no siblings that I emulated and created this "monster within" nor do I deny noticing my family has no trouble "turning off" or "tuning out." So, what's the deal with me? Perhaps that should be a who other personal blog for my General section.  Given we are living in a time of unfavorable interactions and mixed communication has created a no-winning situation, one way I feel I escape is through learning and goal setting. One of my small goals for this summer was to begin collecting podcasts. Given my job is to speak all day and hear others speaking, it was (admittedly) the last thing I wanted to do each evenin

Some find it hard to believe that when I was younger my family was told I'd never be able to to fully read efficiently. As a child,  I wasn't fully aware what this meant, but all I knew was that it upset my mother immensely. When I was old enough, she explained it all to me. Of course by this point, I had already been selected to read at church more times than I could count, I'd given the salutatorian speech for my eighth grade class, and I read so many books my father called me Belle (from Beauty and the Beast.) I remember when I was in elementary school, and finally learned to read, my father would take me to the library every week (much to his dismay at times for never getting a break,) for new books. They still joke with me to this day they couldn't keep up with me and the number of books I read. It's not that I was reluctant to read, I just needed the key to unlock the door of how to read. How did this transformation take place? I tribute part of the change to

On my routine walk today I did some reflecting. I usually take my walks to help me sort my thoughts, make mental to-do lists, (a personal favorite) and to think about projects I'm working on, while dreaming of the next one to follow. Perhaps this is a bad habit, but I'd like to think this is where the creativity is sparked and the next possible adventure could start. Today was no exception when a particular thought came to mind.  Admittedly,  I have not read Simon Sinek's book Start With Why ( https://simonsinek.com/ ) however his work is not new to me either. I actually heard about his work in a sermon series my (amazing) parish had. It was at that mass I reflected on my "why" as a teacher. During Readers' Workshop training this fall, our trainer and thinking partner always had us return and reflect back on our "why" to keep the work authentic. I feel over time I've developed my "why" further with each passing year in the classroom. W

Today the leadership team and I had a great meeting! One of the best things about our chapter of KDP is the time and energy officers dedicate to planning each academic year. What makes all of our events successful is the planning process behind it. Just like in theater, the magic happens behind the curtain so the show can run smoothly.  I am particularly excited for new project initiatives this year that will explore new areas for our Literacy Alive project, Celebration of Teaching project, and a new Leadership Project.  Our Leadership Project perhaps excites me the most because it stirs my enthusiasm for instilling leadership in other educators, while stretching my own growth and flexibility as a leader. In the initial planning stages, my fellow officers agreed nothing short of the best would do for our chapter, and so, we decided that we will reflect on the great works of other KDP teacher leaders through one of my favorite texts: The Power of Teacher Leaders. (You can find this book

Starting to work again on a curriculum set for Differentiated Instruction for KDP University. My friend and fellow Kadelpian and I have teamed up to work together and share our knowledge and passion for the topic, while embarking on a journey of writing a curriculum set for the very first time.  I'm eager to continue exploring my writing and publishing on various topics in education, so hopefully this will be a success for us.  Admittedly we had to shelve the material for a while due to other commitments and time constraints, but now we are energized and ready to strike the match under our work again.  When laying the groundwork, there are many things that worry me about the process, such as resources, and just like differentiated instruction for students should meet all of their learning needs, I wish to meet the needs for all the teachers that will view our course.  Feeling inspired, anxious, and motivated.  Let's keep moving! 

                                                        Welcome to my blog!                                                              I am excited to start my own blog for the first time and see where it goes. My goal is to share experiences, resources, and thoughts about teaching and learning in a shared safe space for visitors to enjoy. This is just the beginning, so let the adventure begin!