You could say that I’ve always had a passion for the organization and ease of efficient and safe school pickups and drop-offs. I don’t want to brag, but I did spend two years in elementary school as a member...
I have already started checking off our back-to-school list. Markers, crayons, folders, and notebooks. Maybe a new lunchbox and backpack. Oh, don't forget the hand sanitizer and masks!
This will be my daughter's third year of elementary school. So far,...
OK, I’m going to say it…the beginning of the school year is coming. I know, I know, if you’re anything like me you’d rather stick pencils in your eyeballs than acknowledge this fact! The lazy days of summer are...
Merriam-Webster added 520 new words or expanded definitions to the dictionary in January 2021, some of which are signs of progress like “Second Gentleman” and others that mark the ways we are forever changed by the pandemic like “long hauler.” How...
Summer time is here! With more things open in Kansas City, you are probably trying to make the most of summer 2021. However, if you are anything like me, you might want to pace yourself with the outdoor activities...
Our first baby was born in June, four weeks before his July due date. In the blink of an eye, we were faced with the question: Do we send him to kindergarten at 5 or wait another year until...
My boy is growing up. A friend who was once a third grade teacher warned me it would be coming. It is the collision of worlds, where they still seem so tiny, but want so badly to be big....
As surprising as it may seem, your baby is getting ready for middle school. While you may still see a tiny little person when you look at your kiddo, the rest of the world sees an almost teenager. How...
As an educator, I’m constantly encouraging my students to advocate for themselves, for their interests and needs. With this crazy school year and full classes, it’s hard to know the specific needs of all my students all the time,...
My toddler is an overwhelmingly pleasant, happy little guy — but if you catch us transitioning from one activity to the next, you might think otherwise. For example, if he is happily playing with his toys, he will likely...
When I was in graduate school, I was told babies are born knowing all the sounds of all the languages in the world. Infants can learn any language they’re exposed to. Gradually, babies figure out which sounds they are...
Back when my oldest son was starting kindergarten, I'm pretty sure I said at LEAST once, "I literally cannot imagine any scenario in which I would choose to homeschool."
Then COVID-19 came into the world like a caffeinated nuclear freight...
My 7-year-old daughter Mia has been riding horses for a couple years now. It is her passion and a completely foreign world to me. She’s also been doing shows for awhile now at the barn where she takes lessons,...
With Black History Month upon us, I have been nervously trying to figure out how I plan to incorporate Black history into a classroom full of white fourth and fifth graders. I am the ONLY person of color in...
In her April 2019 TED Talk, America Ferrera tells her listeners “presence creates possibility.” Her words resonated for me when I first heard them and they still do. Written on a post-it note in my office, these words remind...
Your Guide To KC
Where to Trapshoot in Kansas City with Teens, Tweens
The rise of tweens and teens seeking sports outside the traditional football, soccer, basketball, volleyball route has been on a steady incline for the...
