Infographic Rubric and Project

I busted my butt doing research on a rubric for an infographic. I love infographics, and they really suit the way society gets information today, so I wanted to offer it as an option for a cultural research project. I just offered it for the first time and I was highly impressed with the results! Of course there were a few kids who just didn't get it, and subsequently got not so great grades. But there were two that really stood out to me, and I'll share them at the bottom of this post.

What's so hard for me in developing a rubric is to hit all the aspects of the project that are important without being nit-picky or overly specific that it puts the students in a corner. I really feel that I found that balance in this rubric!

Infographic rubric:

	Exceeds expectations	Meets expectations	Needs improvement	POINTS
Research (weight x2)	Includes a variety of information directly related to the topic. Information is accurate and informative.	Includes information related to the topic. There may be minor irrelevancies or unnecessary information.	Only some information provided, or a lot of information is inaccurate or irrelevant. Leaves the reader in need of clarification.	Out of 6
Design	Infographic is neat, organized, easy to follow, legible, and includes well placed pictures and information.	Infographic has some parts that are hard to follow, or a picture may be placed poorly, but otherwise can be understood.	Design is difficult to follow, a lot of pictures and information are placed poorly, the reader is confused.	Out of 3
Creativity	Infographic includes fun, legible font(s), colors that are easy to read, and images that directly relate to the topic.	Infographic includes some color, poor font choice, may be difficult to read in some parts, but overall shows some thought and effort.	Appears poorly done, either in a rush or with little thought or effort.	Out of 3
Graphics and Pictures	Images are directly related to the topic and enhance the learning experience.	Graphics are related to topic but do not add to the learning experience – only there to add color and dimension.	There are no images, images are not related to topic, or images are of poor quality.	Out of 3
Mechanics/ Grammar/ Spelling	Language is clear and informative. Spelling and grammatical mistakes are minimal and do not cause confusion.	There are several spelling or grammar mistakes that are mostly comprehensible. Mistakes do not detract from learning.	Spelling and grammar mistakes are incomprehensible and cause confusion.	Out of 3
Sources		Listed at bottom, easy to find. Wikipedia not cited.	No sources, or Wikipedia is cited.	Out of 2
On time		On time	Late 1 Day -10 Late 2 Days -20 Late 3 days -30 Late 4 days -40 Late 5 Days -50 6+ days late earns a 0.
				FINAL GRADE

Or view it here: https://goo.gl/70hTo9

The only problem I have found so far is when there is a case of plagiarism. I really didn't know where to take those points off, so I did it in the Research and Mechanics section. Of course, I could just grade it as if it weren't plagiarized and then take points off, or just give it a 0, but the student did design the layout and insert pictures, so some work was necessary. But each teacher has the flexibility to grade as they see fit.

It was really important that I showed a few examples to the students. The kids, upon hearing the word, didn't know what it was, but once they saw one, they then understood what an infographic was. I actually had a few infographics pinned on Pinterest that have to do with the Spanish language and language learning, so I showed them to the class when I assigned the project. 

Now, I will be sheepish and admit that since it was their first effort with this project choice, and it's cultural, I let them do it in English. So the examples are in English. But now that the trial run is over, it's obvious that most can handle writing it in Spanish. So next time, target language!

Anyways, I had two favorite projects from this experiment. I'm sharing them, with their permission and the names blocked out, to show how awesome they came out! The projects are the students' original submissions, with no corrections made on my part.

Okay, so yeah, it's a little short on info, but the look and the style is exactly what I expected! Sure, it's a bit amateur, but the kid is 14! Cut them some slack! I think it's great for the first time EVER doing one!

Here's another one. There are minor grammar errors, and they cited Wikipedia (tsk, tsk), but the format is awesome! (It's a scan so I apologize for the odd line on the right.)

I love how it's color coded, the info and pictures go back and forth, it's so easy to read and follow! And there's tons of information, they really put in a lot of effort!

Overall, I'm very pleased with the results. It's actually fun to grade these projects, unlike the boring research papers I used to assign. I am going to be using this project for years to come.

Game: Marker Boards

I think that using Marker Boards as a learning tool is one of the most versatile thing I have. Some kids love the marker boards, they can draw, write, erase, use the pretty colors, and yeah, it has this smell... I had a student who straight up told me, "They're not really a game." Well, yes, but the others don't know that!

I got my marker boards from Target a few years ago and they've help up alright enough. I bought them to replace older boards that the backs could be written on - but not erased. Sure, a few of them had silly stuff (a blob with "I am the orange potato God" written next to it, or "Miss W talks a lot," which, admittedly, I do) but after one of the boards had something highly inappropriate about me on it (yes, a direct attack. Rated X) I figured it was time to replace the boards. The boards I got had the wipe off finish on both sides - no more permanent messages on the back!

Low odor, HA!

I buy markers through the school. We actually do have a small budget to make purchases with. And I only need to buy new markers every 2-3 years. The erasers are the hard part. When I inherited my classroom, there was an old, smelly plastic bag filled with about a dozen red rags. Certainly not a class set. I ended up finding a bunch of cheap, thin gloves on sale (50 cents a pair!) and use those. I do wash the rags and gloves at least twice a year. Unfortunately, messages can be left on the gloves, but luckily the kids have been good and have just decorated them with designs or written their names. Washing them just fades their work, so I guess as long as it stays appropriate, we're good.

It's important to still have rags as an option. Some kids just can't imagine using the same glove as someone previous. But if I want them to participate, they have to erase with something. The rags were also used as a messaging system. I simply throw away the ones that were too inappropriate. I still have plenty left.

I use marker boards for everything. Vocab, grammar, drawing, writing, it handles it all. I offer it as an option for the end of chapter review day, and it's great because 2 of the other games I offer are games I can leave the kids alone with, and then I can lead those who want to play with the marker boards. Super easy! And kids actually do enjoy handing the supplies out. Well, it could just be that they love having control over whether someone gets the color marker they want.

Update 12/17/15: So, all of my students have iPads this year, so in lieu of marker boards, they use the Notability app ($3.99, but we all use it so much, the school bought a license and it's pre-loaded on the iPads.) Just make sure that they make the font size big so you can see what they wrote/drew even if they are sitting in the back of the room. And if they change the background color on the app, that they use a font color that stands out.

Notability App icon

Just like the scouts: Be prepared

One of my big pet peeves is when students miss time in my class for sometimes silly, little things. To be fair, I'm okay with kids getting a drink or using the bathroom once they finish their work and we're not going over it yet. But sometimes kids are just kids and for some reason or another, they have to get up, or take care of something. And it's always at an inconvenient time and usually disrupts class. Over the years I have supplied my room with items that allow students to take care of their problems without leaving the room, or at least minimizing their time away.

I know this is odd, but I really like that my classroom is very close to the bathroom, and they designed it so that the sinks are outside, so if a kid has to go to the sink, they can actually still hear me teach. I mean, as long as the 2 other teachers who are closer are not teaching as well, they can. And the drinking fountain is nearby, but not so close they can hear me, but it cuts down on the time they are away. Except that most of the students hate that fountain because it has low water pressure. But still, in theory, that helps cut down on time that they are away. There are times I will deny a kid the chance to go to the bathroom or get a drink, simply because we're in the middle of something important.

So, on to what I really want to talk about: my supplies. I learned quickly to keep my own stash of band-aids. I have to replenish it once or twice a year, but they're great for all the paper cuts and such. I keep a Tide-to-Go pen. Doesn't help so much during class, but I get regular enough requests for it that it's worth having around. I have saline solution. Funny story, a kid was complaining about his eyes burning after swimming. I played nurse and used the saline solution like eye drops and the burning stopped for 20 minutes. Not a permanent solution, but enough to sooth his eyes while I taught. I keep, ahem, feminine products. Easy for a female teacher to do, not so much for a male teacher. I invest in the nice, soft tissues. I buy them in bulk. In the winter, I go through a box every two days because sick kids, who I don't even teach anymore, come to my room and grab a handful of them. "They're so much better than the school's tissues." You know, the cheap, thin, scratchy ones? Torture on a sore nose. I have hand lotion, which I should probably use more often myself, as my hands get dry in the winter, then I get more paper cuts and I have to use the band-aids. I keep device chargers and I do let the kids use them, but the rule is the phone has to be up front and silent. I own both Android and Apple devices, so I have both sets of cords (though just the lightning cord for Apple, so older devices are out of luck.) But super helpful since our freshmen all have iPads and some don't always remember to recharge them at night.

I have the usual school supplies of paper, pens, pencils and cap erasers. Yes, cap erasers. High schoolers are obsessed with them. I keep the paper in two places in my room. Some classes will have the person closest to the box by the windows grab a pile and pass it around during class activities. Lazy but efficient, and cuts down on movement. Crayons, markers, colored pencils, scissors, masking tape, and for study halls, rulers and calculators. Although I'm down to 1 ruler. The cheap ones break easy. I keep my tape dispenser and stapler out on my desk, which they can use WITH PERMISSION (have you seen a kid empty a new role of scotch tape trying to patch up a three ring binder? Waste of time and tape.) The electric pencil sharpener is convenient, though some students need to work on the timing of its use.

I have practical items that might not be useful for class, but occasionally have been used. An English dictionary is great for debates, and sometimes we use it to discuss word origins. I have a map of the world, not just Latin America or Spain. Then again, I'm a geography nut and some of my students are too. But it's good for discussing world events, even if it's not really Spanish related. I can always cite NYS LOTE learning standard 2: Cross cultural awareness. Nothing says I'm limited to Spanish speaking countries!

Of course, I keep a few things hidden for myself. I benefit from the use of pretty much everything I have for the students. A manicure set has been my favorite recent addition. I break my nails so much during class, so clippers and a file are nice to have handy. I also have a secret chocolate stash. And Tylenol. Because, come on, as much as we love our students, sometimes you just get a headache!

Grading: Reward effort or accuracy in High School?

Grading is an issue within our department (7-12). The middle school teachers (and 1 HS teacher) grade homework based on effort. The rest of us in the HS grade based on accuracy. I can see the pros and cons of each way. Because my views on grading based on effort get a little heated, I will save those for last.

Grading based on accuracy, for me, is the only way to go. It does so much to help the students in the long run. Yes, a low homework grade might hurt their ego. They might get mad at you. My students constantly say that I'm "such a hard grader," and "Why can't you just be nice?" Well, I'm providing feedback so you can learn from your mistake. I always write the correct answer on a homework if they get it wrong. Why? So they can see it and read it and learn from it. If I didn't do that, very few are going to take the time to look up the correct answer, especially if they don't like their grade. I usually find those papers balled up on my floor after class. They can be mad, I'm not here to make friends, I'm here to teach them Spanish, and to make sure they learn it correctly. Progress can't be made if they are told they are wrong but not why it is wrong. If a mistake is made, they need to learn why it was a mistake. The majority of kids will learn from their mistake. Not all, but as long as some do, I am happy. I'll keep working on the others.

Another reason I grade based on accuracy is to show that I have high(er) expectations for my students. It takes a few weeks for them to get used to it after having teachers that grade for effort, but almost all of my students rise to the occasion. I find that the few who don't adjust were never committed in the previous years either. In high school, we have the task of setting them up for college, where a wide variety of expectations are held. I would rather over-prepare them than under-prepare them and give them a nasty shock when they start their freshman year.

On to the other point of view. Grading for effort is good for first time learners. I think it's a good idea in the first year of language learning. It helps those who don't quite get it to continue to feel encouraged, and it helps those students who are still struggling to balance the multiple class, multiple teacher schedule to figure out how to do it all. But here's the catch: if you see a consistent error within their homework or classwork, ADDRESS IT!!!! I concede, language learning is difficult for some. They just can't wrap their brains around it. I get it, that's why I don't teach science! So, grading for effort is acceptable for a period of time. However, I can't stress this enough, feedback must be given! If there is no feedback, even just a general, in class "Hey, guys, I noticed a lot of you were writing Ustedes instead of ellos, those mean two different things!" then they can't fix what they have learned incorrectly. Also, make sure they are writing down things that are related to what you are learning, don't just look for pencil marks. At the beginning of one year, I had a kid hand in a class writing activity. It started out using proper vocab and grammar, then it fell off and the kid just wrote some ramble in English about how I'm not going to be reading that part anyways so he was just going to write a bunch of his favorite words. Imagine his surprise when I handed back a ramble of my own about how expectations in the HS are different.

What I'm going to say next may offend some people. I take that risk. But I feel very strongly about these things. And I'm entitled to my opinion. My biggest beef with grading based on effort ALL THE TIME is because the teacher is "too busy." Now I will admit, sometimes I get swamped and I just leaf through an assignment - but just one assignment, and it happens only once or twice a year. In my experience, "too busy" too often means 'I can't finish it within my contracted hours, and I'm not giving up my non-school hours. EVER.' If that is your thought process, then please find another career. I get that teachers can't stay late every day, but once or twice a week isn't going to kill you. Nor is grading at home. Luckily, I can count on my two hands the number of teachers I have known with this mentality. The other definition of "too busy" is that the person really is too busy, being the adviser for 4 clubs, coaching 3 sports a year, and attending every single school function. On top of being married with kids. I love the enthusiasm, but if your personal and professional commitments prevent you from doing your job properly and providing the education and feedback the students need, then you need to change some things in your life. 

There are pros and cons to all sides of the great grading debate. I have my style and my reasons, and others have theirs. Please feel free to comment on your thoughts of the grading process. I'm always open to hearing what others have to say.

Rubrics - my downfall

I have to admit that I have not changed any of my rubrics in years. Lately, I have noticed that something is sorely missing in them. I'm not exactly sure what, though. I don't think they are specific enough, or are inconsistent.

On my rubrics, I have a grammar and spelling section that is set up one of two ways. Some are divided into how many mistakes are made (none, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, errors hinder comprehension, etc), and some are divided by how bad the mistakes are (excellent work, many errors but comprehensible, errors start to slow reader, etc)

I had to throw appropriateness into the rubric at one point when a couple of bold young men, let's say, decided to test how offended I would get to certain things. You would think that handing in something appropriate would be a given. I haven't really had a problem since. However, maybe my description of the assignment should be more specific and include that, because if you teach high school students, you know that they like to push the boundaries and have their own interpretations of things!

I also found that I didn't edit some things properly. For example, I offer the same type of project for 2 chapters, so I copied and pasted the description from the previous chapter, and I thought I made the appropriate changes in wording. I guess I missed a few!

Found this one with a basic search, and I like the concept! Off to a good start!

I am going to make the rubrics and projects my focus this summer for things that need to be improved. I assign a total of 15 projects to both preps, so I have my work cut out for me. I will start by researching rubrics and make sure that I am 100% sure that I know how to use them to my advantage, I will research what other people use, and ask my coworkers as well. Then I will develop new rubrics that hopefully I can use for years to come!

Game: La Bomba

I was shown a game by a former coworker that is a good for quick review. I'm sure it can be changed and made more challenging without much difficulty. I call it La Bomba because there are bombs in the game that the students are trying to avoid.

I created a 6x6 grid in a word document, labeled the rows A-F going down and the columns 1-6 going across. Then I assign either bombs or a clue to each box. Be very careful to hide your 'answer key' from the kids! They can be such cheaters! And if you are holding it in your hand, hold something behind it so they can't see through - they can totally see where the bombs are, especially if you got all artsy with them! I typically place 8 bombs, you can do fewer or more, though putting in more makes for little review. 8 bombs is already 25% of the board. Hmm, maybe I should change the amount of bombs I use... Anyways, split the class into as many teams as you like. Project a blank bomba board for all to see. Then pick a team to go first. Someone will name a coordinate, and if it's a clue, they answer it and get 10 points if it's correct. If it's a bomb, their score goes to zero, regardless of where it stands. Here's the catch: if they get a clue wrong, they lose 10 points. But do not reveal the answer. Leave the clue open for another team to answer. When all clues are answered (regardless of whether all bombs have been exposed) the team with the highest score wins! This makes a late-game bomb a real heart breaker!

To identify that a team answered a clue correctly, I fill in the box with the color of their choice to indicate that the box is out of play and to indicate which team won the points. Typically, I assign one color to a team and that's the color always used, but if you've got the score keeping under control, then I suppose they can pick any color they want every time. This makes for more fun, as I will describe later.

Sometimes, the kids like to mix things up. I have classes that like to play the game in a non-traditional manner. One way they play is to see which team can hit the most bombs. They get all disappointed when they get a clue. Another thing some like to do is try and create an image through the coloring of the boxes. I have a student who loves telling her class that she still has the fish that her team created last year hanging on the wall of her bedroom. It's up to you if you want to encourage them to do these things, or just let them come up with these strategies on their own.

What I like about this game is its versatility. I can use it for vocab, grammar, or chapter summary. It can be easy, medium, or difficult, depending on how you want to set it up. Games like this one are a great go to when in a pinch, or just need something different because it can fit in anywhere!

Game: Scattergories for Language Learning

This is probably my favorite game to play with the kids. They have so much fun and EVERYONE is involved. It works best as a complete summative review, so probably best used at the beginning or end of the year, or as a filler day.

The official Scattergories logo/ box design. I'm probably breaking some copyright laws. I didn't mean to, officer, honest!

If you've never played Scattergories, then I'll do my best to describe how to play. Every player is given a list of general things (Boy's name, fruit, something hot, type of car, etc) and then a 26 sided die (or is it 20?) is rolled to determine the letter that all the answers to the categories need to start with for that round. Then a timer is set and everyone writes down an answer for each category. When time is up, everyone shares their answers. Points are given for unique responses, so if 2 or more people have the same answer in a category, then that one doesn't count. You play a few rounds and whoever has the most points wins!

Here is my twist on it: I put the kids in groups of 3 or 4 students. The categories are listed in the target language and instead of just nouns or proper names, I include actions, since they can brainstorm infinitive verbs. I also say that if half the teams or more come up with the same answer it doesn't count (so if 3 of 7 teams come up with an answer, it counts, but if 4 teams do, it doesn't.)

I don't have a 26 sided die, so I use this one I found online. It is also an iPad app, but cost 99 cents. There is a free app called 'ScatTools' that includes the randomizer, a timer, and sound effects. I'll be using it next time we play.

I offer this game through my TpT store. It includes 4 category lists.

I will definitely be playing this game again with my students. It is amazing what words they can remember from their years of language learning!

Game: Pesca (Go Fish)

Pesca is a game I like to play within the first day or two of a new vocab unit. It's a simple game and doesn't require too much thinking, which is why I put it at the beginning of a unit. I prefer more complex, thinking games towards the end of a vocab unit.

Basically, I create a MS Publisher document with pictures of vocabulary terms. I print them on card stock, laminate the pages, cut up the cards, and put each set in a baggie. I make 40 cards per set, which is 20 vocabulary terms.

The objective? Just like Go Fish!: Get as many pairs of matching cards as possible.

This is how it's played: Kids partner up and receive the baggie of cards. They shuffle them and deal 5 cards to each player. The remaining cards become the 'fishing pond' to pick from when they are told to go fish. Once everything is ready, one person goes first by asking their partner if they have a particular card in their hand. The partner either says yes and hands it over, or tells the other player to go fish. This goes back and forth until all cards are matched. All matches are removed from their hands and set aside, but keep each players' matches separate for scoring reasons.

Something I've learned over the years: You need to have the kids establish rules regarding taking another turn. My students typically play that if your partner gets a match, or if you pick up a match when you are told to go fish, you get to go again. Some people will disagree and say that it was luck, your turn is done. It all depends on the players. However, this must be established ahead of time, or you will deal with arguments and accusations that "it's not fair!".

I love that this is a game for all Foreign Languages. Because the cards are pictures, you can tailor it for your vocabulary list, and just change the words the kids say while playing. For Spanish, we use some basic vocabulary while playing: ¿Tienes...? (Do you have...?) Sí. (yes) Pesca. (go fish, familiar command form) Gané. (I won) etc. Simple vocab, but it works. You can kick it up a notch, offering the students a wider variety of things to say, such as: Busco... (I'm looking for...), Sí, lo/la/los/las tengo (Yes I have it, them), etc.

I have started putting some of my Go Fish cards on my Teachers Pay Teachers store. I haven't posted a lot because I want to make the cards as generic as possible, and my cards have vocabulary terms from my specific source. But if you can create your own template, then you are well on your way!

Game centered classroom

I know that I teach High School, but I think that playing a lot of games in class is really important. High School students are told time and again that it's time to get serious, preparation for college is very important, they're practically adults. I like to think of my class as their fun, relaxing class within a day of more serious, focused classes. But we do a lot of learning too! Although we don't play games every day, I like to make sure that there is some kind of relaxing, non-teacher led component to each day. Plus, Spanish teachers are stereo typically the crazy teachers, right?

I have a lot of go-to games. My students are highly opinionated about which games they like and dislike. Every game is usually split down the middle, unfortunately. You can't please them all!

So I think I will post a game at a time, and post links here as an all-inclusive list of games I use in my classroom. I hope some are new, though others may be repeats for some people.

Pesca (Go Fish)
Bomba (kind of like Minesweeper)
Barco de Batalla (Battleship)
Matamoscas (Flyswatter)
Scattergories
Jeopardy
Deal or No Deal
ZAP! (Bazinga)
Tengo (Bingo)
Marker Boards

Color coding is how I survive!

I have two color coding systems that help me through my school year. I'm going to talk about how I color code my classes.

To start, the color coding is for my benefit only. I don't think most of the kids have caught on to the fact that they are in a specific colored class. Some have. But most haven't.

When I first started teaching at my current school, I had 3 classes of level 2 and 2 classes of level 3. In my head, I wanted to keep the classes colored by primary/secondary, since I had all 3 primary colors. But for a few years, it just seemed like my schedule kept changing every year, and this system was getting crazy. Finally, I just said forget it to the primary/secondary coloring and simply assigned colors to the classes in rainbow order (RYGBP). And that's how it has been since. I should note that since yellow isn't exactly a paper friendly color, black is its alternative when needed.

So, what do I use the colors for? Well, the folders, of course. But I should explain how I use the folders. Folders are for graded work and unfinished work, like when a student is absent or didn't finish a quiz. Left side for unfinished, right side for handing back graded work. On a side note, when I have a power grading session and have a lot to hand back, I get out the seating chart and organize their papers so that all I have to do is hand it to them as I walk in between the desks. Saves a bunch of time. I got that idea from a student teacher I had.

I also color code my seating chart cards. I give new seats every 5 weeks. I like to mix things up! The color coding of the classes is helpful for substitutes because if they know Period 1 is the Red class, they know to look for all things red.

I color code their names on quizzes they are absent for. I color code their names on the reward pesos I hand out. This year, that has been particularly useful, as I have 2 students with the same first name and last initial, but are in different classes. I color code their names when I itemize or need to organize their college credit paperwork. Should I mention that sometimes, when it's convenient, I even use their class color paper clips? Purple is so hard to find though! Helps for when you have papers you need to refer to but need to stay together in the long term, like Parent night papers or permission slips. Instead of leafing through them all, you know which stack to grab because you know which class the kid is in.

In the end, it might be a little over the top, but for me, I need that sense of 'everything has its place.' There is a 1-on-1 aide who has sat in on my class the last two years, and she has complimented my organization several times. Glad someone appreciates my work since the kids have no idea how I'm running things behind the scenes!

First post!

After perusing a multitude of other Spanish teacher blogs out there, I have decided to start one of my own! This is a third blog that I am writing on, the other two being personal blogs. If my consistency in posting for this blog is like the other two, then I will be sporadic. However, I hope that I post enough information and ideas to make this worthwhile.

A little about myself: I have been teaching Spanish in Upstate NY since 2003. My first year teaching was a one year LTS position at a large suburban HS. It was a good experience for a first year teacher, even though I cried every other day. If I taught at that school now, they wouldn't recognize me! Then I spent two miserable years in a tiny, rural Junior/Senior HS. I hated it there so much that even though I was on a tenure track, I resigned the position. I received no support from the principal or the assistant principals, even though I begged for it. I then took a .8 position at a large suburban/urban Middle School. This was the year that transformed me professionally. I got so much help from the district, my department coworkers were fantastic, and they had a dedicated teacher coach who met with me monthly. It's very unfortunate that the position was a one year contract, and that they failed to explain to me that I had to reapply for the position. I was young and naive and figured I would be automatically considered as a candidate. But as I said, that year was the best for my professional growth, and I will be forever grateful to them.

Because I was not rehired for that position, I decided to expand my search area for my next job hunt, and received a job offer at a high school within the state but in a different region. I have been in this position since 2007. I love my coworkers, both within my department and in the entire building. I couldn't ask to work with a better group of people. The district is a small to medium sized suburban/rural district. We have children of engineers and farmers, doctors and retail workers. It is a very homogeneous district in terms of race, but largely varied in economics.

My intention for this blog is to share any and all thoughts and ideas about lesson planning, learning styles, teaching in general, organization, motivation, and not just for Spanish teachers, but all teachers. I want this blog to have a wide readership. I want new teachers to feel that they are not alone and I want experienced teachers to feel the same, but in a totally different sense! I want to inspire, I want to collaborate, I want to commiserate, I want to express, I want to do it all! I will write about anything and everything that has to do with teaching, so that new teachers can understand the process and experienced teachers can remember how far they've come, and how we all should keep learning. I hope that I accomplish this and will work hard to do so!