After An Educator's Journey
Out of the classroom & into the universe
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Once upon a time, I taught 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders. Now I’m retired and working on new ventures.
Author: amybisson
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Over the last weeks, my hometown has had two incredibly sad instances of domestic violence. Working in an urban setting, teachers are always aware of the nasty underbelly of society. Certainly I have had students who have been impacted by domestic violence, but that was in the city. Not in my neat little suburban, monied…
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Yesterday, we reached the 100th day of school — triple digits. From this point on the year will whiz by at the speed of light… 80 school days from now we will be all done. For kids, that seems like an eternity, but for me Day 100 is the point at which panic sets in.…
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Periodically, I go on a genealogical rampage trying to find — and understand — my family history. For me, it’s always been slow going and each find is in itself a victory. My people liked to hide under rocks. On one side of my family, the Wyants and Lees (not of Virginia, but of Kentucky), …
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I’ve been using Lindamood Bell as an intervention with my struggling 3rd grade readers. They are getting the labelling and the production – lip poppers, tongue coolers, scrapers and we’ve been working on the Vowel Circle. After nailing CVC and CVCe (that’s short vowel and magic e words to the unintitated), I was feeling pretty…
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Sometimes we, meaning I, get so caught up in teaching the required standards, that we forget. We forget the simple pleasure of hearing a book read aloud. I’m not talking about picture books here — those texts are used over and over to illustrate a mini lesson or a book with enjoyable illustrations. I am…
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“What are your goals for retirement?” This is a question I dread mostly because I’m in denial that I’m ever going to want to retire. However, moving across yet another annual milestone and watching as one after another of my colleagues readies to leave teaching, it’s a question I no longer have the luxury of…
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Fans of American Idol are already on to this, but I only heard about it 2 nights ago. Four words – pants on the ground. The General is definitely the cool cat. And for CSNY fans, check out Jimmy Fallon’s cover. Waiting for Dylan to cover it. Now it’s stuck in my head.
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Massachusetts will have a special election on Tuesday in order to fill the remaining term of Senator Kennedy. The two contenders, Martha Coakley and Scott Brown are attracting state-wide attention and even the national media has an eye on this thing. An election on a January Tuesday in the middle of — and I write…
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Each year I’ve required students to write at least weekly about something they have been reading. At first the students’ letters go something like this: Dear Mrs. Bisson, I read Arthur’s Teacher Trouble. It was really funny. Your friend, No matter how pushed I am for time I generally manage to write back and so…
After An Educator's Journey 