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Part 2 of 3: The Learning Journey Series Haven’t read Part 1? Check it out: Setting the Route – Why Clarity Matters  When we’re clear about what students should know, understand, and do, the next step is knowing whether they’re actually getting there. Too often, we rely on long, end-of-unit tests to tell us who…

Part 1: Setting the Route — Why Clarity Matters I’m that girl! I’m the one who gets lost in a parking lot. So, when I get in my car, I don’t just start driving and hope I end up where I want to go. I plug in the destination, and my GPS maps the route.…

Fall on the coast carries its own kind of rhythm. The morning air wants to tease its fall but the days heat back up like summer. It doesn’t stop the evenings from ending with a fire glowing under a sheet of iron and oysters steaming in the shell. Friends and family gather round with gloves,…

What Students Bring to School My Why If you have been reading any of my stories, you may have come to realize by now that they all stem from a place of experience and/or inspiration. This story is, by far, the most challenging one I have written. By sharing this, I’m revealing one of the…

Late-Lee my school visits have had me up and out the door before the light of day. One morning, as I drove to school before sunrise, I watched the sky stretch open with streaks of orange, pink, and gold. That sunrise, so full of promise, reminded me of how we begin each school year with…

The other day, I was in a classroom when I heard a student with a disability say to the teacher, “Now I know how to read.” The student was so excited and undeniably proud. If hearing something like that doesn’t bring tears to your eyes, my friends, education may not be for you. It might…

I love a flag. I love watching it dance in the wind. I love hearing the clank, clank of the halyard against the flagpole in front of a school. Whether you believe in what the flag means is up to you, but for me, I believe in those who fought for the freedom it stands…

I’ve been thinking about shrimp boats, late-Lee. I’m always impressed by the magnificence of a shrimp boat. It’s not that it’s full of glitz and glam. In fact, it’s more the grit and grime that draws me in. I like the ruggedness of it…the sturdiness of it. I like its imperfections, etched in the architecture…

Late-Lee I’ve been thinking about my favorite red lipstick. It’s the one I reach for even on the days when I don’t feel my best. That little swipe across my lips doesn’t erase the crow’s feet around my eyes or the tired look staring back at me, but it gives me just enough lift to…

Late-Lee, I’ve been going through old photos trying to purge some to make room for others. I ran across a set from when I took my granddaughter to a gold mine. I had a good giggle remembering how excited we were when we found those little fragments of shiny “gold” only to learn it was…

Late-Lee I’ve been thinking about football season. It’s upon us and with it comes all of the cookouts and cheers! While everyone cheers for the great plays, I’ve been paying close attention to the sidelines. Coaches don’t just stand with their arms folded. They pull players aside, break down what just happened, and point to…

I saw a news story awhile back that stopped me in my tracks. A six-year-old boy had to be rescued after an octopus in an aquarium reached out of its tank and grabbed his arm. I would have lost it had I been his mom. He’s okay, but I’m sure he was terrified. Thankfully he…

A friend of mine recently told me they had seen the Blue Angels perform. I was jealous. A recent opportunity was rained out. Still, I’ve watched enough videos of them to be completely captivated. There’s something about the precision of their flight. The way they move in perfect sync is an orchestrated beautiful moment. The…

Late-Lee, I’ve been thinking a lot about the resistance some teachers still have when it comes to using data. I’ve heard all the arguments—kids aren’t numbers, we teach humans not test scores, this data doesn’t tell the whole story. And I completely agree. But here’s the thing: using data doesn’t mean you’ve forgotten the heartbeat…

Late-Lee, after a long day of coaching, thinking, overthinking, planning, fixing, nudging, and all the other “-ings” that come with this work, I like to unwind with a little game of Words With Friends. It’s my way of cleansing my brain palate before bed. Now, I’m not saying I’m a champion or anything. In fact,…

Late-Lee, while walking, I’ve been noticing  the butterflies flitting from flower to flower free, light, and beautiful. The other day I paused to watch one of them and remembered how much I used to love teaching the butterfly life cycle to my students. We’d read, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”, observe caterpillars in jars, and celebrate…

A different take on leadership, relationships, and the little things that build a culture There’s a family group text that stays pretty active in my world. Someone’s always sharing a funny picture they came across, sharing photos of themselves or my beautiful grandchildren, dropping a screenshot of a receipt we need to settle up, or…

Late-Lee when I’m out on the river or chilling in my pond, I’ve been thinking a lot about undercurrents like the ones you find in rivers and oceans.  You can’t see them, but they are lurking just below the surface. You will feel a silent pull that moves various things you can’t always see, but…