What I Carry Into The Classroom I am not a morning person, but every morning, I get up and go to work anyway, not just because it's my job, but because I actually look forward to it. I look forward to my students, my colleagues, the rhythm of the day, and the version of me that shows up when I walk through those doors. Work has always been a place where I feel capable, purposeful, and grounded. HOWEVER, these last few years … getting to 7:30 am (the start of first period) has gotten heavier....

Before I Get into It Mother's Day has come and gone, and I've been sitting with something I want to say: There is no wrong way to spend Mother's Day when you are the mother, not a single wrong way — and I'll tell you why I feel that so deeply this year. Before I get started, let me say that if you're one of the moms who didn't really get your day, who spent it taking care of everyone else, didn't get what you needed, or just didn't feel seen, I want you to hear this: Don't let your next...

Happy Mother's Day to Mrs. Sandy (Anderson) Alexander, the OG I am a great teacher because my mother was (and still is) a great teacher. That's not me being sentimental; it’s just the truth. My mom, Sandra (Anderson) Alexander, has been teaching — and reaching — for almost half a century. From the elementary school classroom before 1979 all the way through her retirement in 2013 — and even then, she wasn't done. Retirement didn't slow her down; it just changed her zip code. She went on to...