We all know the Griswold Family and their notorious vacation shenanigans from Wally World, to Europe, Vegas and even Christmas. Let me just say, the Griswold’s have nothing on the Lusby’s this spring break. Let me also just say that my husband is much better looking than Clark, and he has a better sense of humor when I get his jokes. (If anyone can explain deez nuts…. Would be appreciated). National Lampoons Lusby Family Funeral Flight The Lusby’s have had the absolute worst luck with trips in the last year. InOctober we were scheduled for a very early Saturday morning…
Glamping Life!
Over the summer, my family and I adventured out into the wilderness. By wilderness, I mean a State Park campground equipped with electricity, running water and bike paths. I know…this might not be everyone’s definition of adventuring. I grew up adventuring in a VW Van, peeing in bushes, and showering under a bucket…if I was lucky. I do not want to rough it. Ever. Van Buren State Park on Lake Michigan’s Western shore is one of my favorite campgrounds. It is clean, family friendly, it has great trails and paths to the beach, there is a designated dog beach, and…
The Power of Responsibility…and Accepting It
What does the principalship and instragam have in common? Just let that sit for a minute. The idea of the principal being wrong really rubs some people the wrong way. There are some people who feel that an inherent component of leadership means you know everything, you have all the answers, and mistakes are not made. But….nothing can be further from the truth. Leaders are human too, and effective leaders don’t have all the answers, they don’t know everything, and they do make mistakes. As part of having a growth mindset, we have gotten better about saying, “I don’t know,…
Teacher Appreciation is More Than a Week in May
What do principals do with their time off? Well
Classroom Management Strategies That Work… Because Clip Charts DON’T (free printable)
Yes, ladies and gentlemen….skip the clip chart to manage student behavior. Yes, yes, I know it has been around for ages. While we are at it, probably rethink the card chart as well. These strategies are all just basically the same as the good old fashioned name on the board with checkmarks. This style and strategy of management at best amounts to nothing more than public humiliation, and at worst causes excalation of behavior and possibly some ferpa concerns when misbehaving students become the topic of conversation around someone else’s dinner table. I once had an administrator pose the question…
10 years old, Idiocy, and the Laws of Statistics
Be forewarned: this is a dark topic, I am feeling particularly dark, and it has been on my mind for a few days. It started with the overturning of Roe, and a chain of events that took place that are simply horrifying. It has made front page headlines so we are all familiar, but in a nutshell: On June 24, 2022 the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade the 1973 case that affirmed a woman’s right to reproductive choice. This in itself is blogworthy because three justices reneged on their testimony specifically as it relates to Roe during their Confirmation…
Teacher Appreciation is More Than Just a Week in May
Or at least it should be. When it comes to teacher appreciation, they can’t be appreciated enough. Teachers are like the red headed step child of the college educated population. Teachers, at a minimum have a 4 year Bachelor’s degree, just like many other professionals, but the earning capacity associated with that degree versus, say a BSN in nursing or business is far less. Add to that, teaching and education are publicly funded professions and the variance in pay is vast from place to place. Additionally, teachers are required to maintain certification, which must be renewed every few years.Rrenewal is…
Back to School Get to Know You
I know….I know….The school year has barely ended and here we are already thinking about getting next year started. I guess we could call this #principallifeproblems? But here we are: no sooner have we finished our end of year data reports, teacher evaluation audits, student study team summaries, PBIS behavior analysis, handbook revisions, inventories and summer requisitions…and we are already on to next year and master schedules, intervention planning, handbook revisions, teacher handbooks, textbook adoption, PD plans…and setting up our staff for a successful, productive and happy school year. Part of my start of year plan this year involves our…
Letting Go
The end of the year in a school is a time for letting go. That last month is hard as teachers prepare for the usual grief the comes with learning with (and from) and loving a group of kids for a school year. All teachers experience this, and some years are harder than others. Teachers bond with their students; they know all about their siblings, pets, joys, losses, dreams and aspirations, fears and quirks. Teachers watch students grow, mature, develop and evolve as little humans, and that is such a gift! At the same time, students have come to trust,…
Over My Dead Body
This used to be a euphamism…. Meaning something that should never happen. But for public school educators it is not. Waking up to the news this morning that 19 students and 2 teachers in Texas were dead at the hands of an 18 year old gunman, after 10 people were killed by an 18 year old gunman in New York, and after the news of 26 other school shootings in the last school year brought me to tears. When is enough going to be enough? We were shocked and saddened, sending thoughts and prayers after Columbine….and every year it is…
It Has Been a Hard Year
It has been a hard year.There have been many blogs started, many finished and few published. Writing is my therapy many times and when a post is born of frustration, sadness, anger…. This are for me. But this one is for everyone. It has been a hard year. Many children returned to full time learning lacking the academic stamina they had pre-pandemic. Many children returned to our classrooms and had difficulty sitting and attending to instruction, reading for a sustained duration, and self regulating. Our youngest children had their first in classroom experiences and are not able to use a…