In the last week, my Instagram and Facebook feeds have been inundated with images of the first days of school. Teachers displaying their tidy bulletin boards and kids sporting new outfits and smiling faces grace my screen. I love seeing these beginnings – the new year brings excitement and a re-energizing spirit. School year beginnings make me think of the … Read More
What If Assessment Was A Gift?
Each fall when I teach a graduate course in assessment, I begin by having my students engage with a powerful article by Elaine Brouwer called “Assessment as Gift: A Vision,” in which she posits that assessment should be a gift that honors our students as image bearers. My students and I wrestle with this idea throughout the course. It is … Read More
See the Story, Live the Story
When my daughter was five years old, she was a princess. I know this because I visited her kingdom. As she played with her Barbies and Ninja turtles, she entered an imaginary and magical kingdom she called “Ergensis” and commenced to reign royally. She invented scenarios and stories that involved friends, brothers, and imaginary characters. As I eavesdropped on her … Read More
What Does It Mean To Be Successful?
February has never been my favorite month. Not because winter seems like it will never end; not because the dreary overcast skies match my mood; no, February is the month where I fall back into my “imposter” thinking. February is most often the month where the busyness and challenge of my work butts up against my own insecurities and my … Read More