I believe that some of our best innovators and thinkers are so traumatized by our system that they are underemployed or incarcerated. Our world needs the out-of-box thinkers to be unleashed. And I never want them to feel like they are being held back by not being able to record their thoughts through writing or learn something they need/want to learn through reading.

Future Pilot broke down in our 1-1 session today…tears. Imagine a junior in high school reading at a 2nd grade word level. His buddies that get him in trouble moved to the alternative high school. He has no friends - is always in special ed classes where everyone is rowdy and immature. Yet we are fighting to keep him in our school to change the trajectory of his current social pressures. 😭 But he showed real resilience in our session. He works so hard for me. I’m 3 sessions in…I can’t wait for him to see how well he will be able to read and write…I hope he continues to give me a chance…and himself…

Our little high school team got an invite to the implementation science conference for the leaders in literacy in Idaho last week. Do you know what I walked away with as the most important thing? Schools won't/can't be fixed without community partners. The task is too daunting, there is not enough time or money to address the problems we are facing.

I don’t understand how teachers have to attend PD but then also have to get CE’s. What a waste of time!

I just heard @CattsHugh mention the good work of @SoLInTheWild at our Deciding Dyslexia Idaho Lit and Lang Conference! Woot!!

I begged and pleaded to get us tickets to the Implementation Science Conference with the leading districts in the state for literacy. It was my 2 co-teachers, VP, and a SPED teacher. We were the only high school team invited. 💛 I gained a lot of insight into how to make systemic change. It is much slower than I want it to go!! But we unified in vision and next steps. I am feeling so excited to see how this plays out!

Was Zig Engelmann not accepted because he was an outsider to education? And are we doing the same thing to new voices that are innovating education? #soldastory

First time doing an oral reading fluency in Spanish. It was so interesting to see errors on gender and number agreement as well as grammar - even when reading! This student might have DLD as well as needing to learn English! Sigh.

My first attempt at the FAST framework from @GTavernetti was eye-opening today. I was teaching an “Identifier Tool” or appositive. It felt amazing to break steps down and be able to know who could actually do it at the end of the lesson. 💛

I can’t believe I get to meet real life superheroes in person!! So fun to talk face to face with many I admire here on X! 😊 Can’t wait for tomorrow!

It turns out that out of the insurances I've worked with so far, the best customer service and provider experience has a clear winner - by a landslide. And it is...Medicaid Idaho! Who would have thought?!

In the library prepping for my 1-on-1 students today and heard - “You need to leave the library and are not allowed to study here any more. I just caught you cheating on your test. I’m telling Mrs. ____ and have video proof.” Admin at our hs school has been on point this year! They are in the halls sending ppl back to class, the phone policy is better enforced, the teachers of grade levels are working on the same objectives…good admin makes a big difference.

I don't know who needs this, but Grok just led me to printfriendly.com I copied the link to an article from the BBC about a dyslexic athlete, and it popped out a PDF of the article with the pictures and no ads!! I am doing a pull-out with Future Pilot and a new student today. I am so excited to have a way where it seems like an article rather than a word doc! Woot!

Anyone near the Boise area should meet me at this Summit! What a lineup!! 😱

In our high school we have an RTI director. He has been a sped teacher and coached football for over 20 years. And he is dyslexic himself! He is such an asset. 💛 He is really helping me with the goal of getting 100% participation in the classroom through MWB and small group/partner work. He is the hype man! I love working with adults dyslexics!!

“Are you coming in to my 6th hour today?” In front of the whole class. I couldn’t believe it. 😱 Last week was the first time I finally had all my ducks in a row to start with small group instruction. I go in for a few students into their study hour class once a week. Last week I worked with Future Nurse and Future Dental Hygienist. I created my literacy lesson around medical terminology. They started to see that I really want to help them succeed. And not only did remember that today is their session, but they asked me in front of everyone if I would be there. Let’s go!!! 🙌💪🙏

Just found out that the feeder middle school for our high school has a team of moms that show up for reading help and they started placing students for reading help in advisories! What?! #brilliant Guess who sent out some emails to find out if I can help get them some training! And- why am I just hearing about this?!!

Put in the work when your kid is young so that as a teen they still want to have the occasional night chillin’ and laughing at home with you. #worthit. 🥹

The “a-ha” moments are starting to come in the older high school literacy class. Today I had a senior (credit recovery) say “Oh! That’s how I add in more detail!”

Today in the hs: a common strategy for teaching when to use commas in writing is “if you pause when you are reading it”. But older struggling students don’t usually read with proper prosody. Sentence composing by the Killgallons teaches comma use by introducing sentences as topics (subjects), comment about the subjects (predicates), and tools (clauses/phrases). They explicitly teach use of commas with the tools. It has been so helpful that my co-teachers have even added sentence composing to their on-grade level classes!

The best mindset change I've made lately is going from an angry, "Why is no one doing this? I have to create it myself!" to "Who is doing this well, and how can I find them?"