AfterClass

Your close friends and family may get to hear about your experiences as a teacher, the things you’ve learned, the things that made you laugh, the things that challenged you, but how powerful might they be for other teachers to hear.

At the Arizona K12 Center, we believe in the power of teachers’ stories and how they can support and uplift other teachers. That’s why we created StoriesFromSchoolAZ.org, a website solely to share out Arizona teachers’ stories. Below, we’ve listed a few recent blog posts that have especially inspired or affected us.

If you’re interested in sharing your own stories from school, consider applying to become a Stories From School AZ blogger by applying at this link. This opportunity provides a platform for sharing your experiences, opportunities to connect with other Arizona teacher leaders, and some monetary compensation.

• Understanding Teacher Guilt by Nicole Wolff

As an instructional coach, Nicole Wolff sees how consistently teachers feel the weight of not being able to constantly do even more for their students. Teaching in a pandemic has exacerbated this. Wolff offers insight and strategies to help teachers alleviate that guilt.

• Celebrating Small Wins by Maria Fallon

This may be just the blog post you need to read right now, a reminder that being present and recognizing small wins have a big impact!

• Students Are Always Watching by Kyle Bragg

Even when you’re not in the middle of formally teaching, your students are watching you. Physical education teacher Kyle Bragg reflects on the importance of how we teach in every moment.

• “When I grow up…” by Yolanda Wheelington

Montessori teacher Yolanda Wheelington shares about crucial helping young students dream big is to their ability to live into that future.

• The New, New Normal by Rachel Perugini

People talk about wanting to return to how things used to be, but high school English teacher Rachel Perugini points out that any changes won’t be a return to exactly what was. No matter the teaching environment, she is committed to teaching students to the best of her ability.

• Snapshot of a Silent Classroom by Amethyst Hinton Sainz

After a few months of teaching remotely, Amethyst Hinton Sainz reflects on the silence she’s experienced while facilitating credit recovery classes.

• Can We Reimagine Our Profession? I Believe the Answer is Yes! by Leah Clark

High school English teacher Leah Clark looks back on nearly a full year of pandemic teaching and considers ways we can take what we’ve learned and apply to the future to create a better education experience for teachers and students.