I have a confession to make. I’ve sat on a “secret” for a while, trying to figure out how to understand it. It’s taken me a LONG time to get to this point, but it has to be said. My oldest child, age 23, born Lauren, is a trans-man named Christian. As a conservative, religious […]
Amy Arnold
Amy Arnold is a mother, a teacher, a writer, an administrator, a parent coach, and exhausted!!! She has worked with students with special needs since 1994, and specialized in autism and related disorders for the last 15 years, including parent coaching, sibling workshops, and sensory training. When not focused on education, she enjoys playing guitar and writing fiction. She can be contacted at amyarnold08@gmail.com.
I Love Teaching Summer School or Am I a Glutton for Punishment?
I tell myself that I love teaching, in theory, I get summers “off”! But I realized recently that I have not taken a summer off in over 12 years! Some may ask why have I consistently worked during the summer? To be honest, the money is pretty good, since it’s my hourly wage without being […]
The Blame Game- Teacher Shaming Has to Stop!
Can I start by saying that I am really angry? Really. Angry! The State of Florida has given us so many examples of “what not to do” this month. While gearing up for the end of the year should be a joyous time, instead teachers in one school district are taking the full blame for student […]
Secondary Trauma-The Next Mental Health Crisis
“My family is still living in the domestic violence shelter and I don’t think Santa is going to find us there,” said the child. “Why do you think that?” queries the teacher sadly. “Mom said so. She said not to expect him to find us.” [bctt tweet=”My family is still living in the domestic violence […]
Surviving Teacher Depression
I think I have it figured out! After 22 years of listening to teachers discuss their depression, I just had to ask myself, “Why do teachers suffer from SO much depression?” Every year, teachers by the thousands report symptoms of depression or anxiety. I’ve expressed this many times myself. While clinical depression is caused by […]
Death of a Teacher’s Husband: My Lesson Plan for Survival
My husband of ten years just passed away. School starts in three weeks. My husband has always been right there with me in the trenches, whether I was teaching or acting as administration. He encouraged me, he was proud of me, and he kept me sane; now he is gone. While death isn’t the only […]
Catty Communication- More Effective Peer to Peer Relations
My blood was boiling… my fists were balled up… my gut wanted to yell, “Let’s take this behind the barn!!!” She was in my face, screaming. We were standing in the front office with students, parents, and other teachers trying not to stare, without much success. I stood there because I wanted to hear her […]
How Far is Too Far to Save a Life?
The phone rings at midnight. That’s never a good sign, right? We imagine our relatives in a terrible accident, something gone wrong for our parents, or our children in trouble. But when you are a school administrator, you have to figure there is a chance the school caught fire, got burgled, or generally something went […]