March 8, 2020 It is currently flu season, allergy season and, unfortunately, Coronavirus is making its way around. In other words, students missing school is highly likely as we get through the last several months of school, and it is right during testing season. In addition to keeping a clean classroom, there are some things…
by Sonya Barnes January 25, 2019 As teachers, we spend a great deal of time with our students and they learn our preferences just from how we talk bout things. They know favorite foods, drinks, TV shows—all because of conversations we have and anecdotes we may share during our lessons. And sharing a part of…
by Sonya Barnes January 16, 2020 In past centuries, children would begin working the family farm or business at a young age to contribute their share—even if they went to school. Some children, in their adolescent years, may have even been sent away to work as an apprentice in a trade for a variety of…
Here is the letter I sent to FLDOE and district leadership regarding the chastising email sent to Polk County teachers threatening their jobs if they took their approved personal days to attend the Rally on Monday 1/13/2020 to make their voice heard the day before the legislative session begins on 1/14/2020. In education, we are…
December 3, 2019 If you are a teacher that is buried in work and have so much to do that you fear you won’t see your winter break this year, then this is for you! Read on to find out how to catch up and get ahead before Winter Break starts. If you are like…
(or any other career you are in that is NOT about the money) September 29, 2019 If you pay attention to education at all, you’ve probably heard that teachers are not paid a fair wage for the job that they do, and I’m not here to get into the politics, taxes and arguments on it….
September 22, 2019 Kids these days catch a lot of flak for how easy they have it compared to prior generations. If you’ve spent even an hour in the presence of a kid recently, you will realize that they handle a lot, and most of them do it surprisingly well. They have had so much…
September 16, 2019 This week I did something I never wanted to do as a teacher mom—I freaked out over my 3rd grader’s benchmark test score. I straight up panicked. He scored fine on the math test, but his reading test was low, and has been in a steady decline since he started school. I…
September 7, 2019 Like most moms, I seldom prioritize my own needs over those of my family’s until I reach a breaking point. Due to unplanned circumstances, our family ended up moving into a home that was twice the size of what we were living in and my mom moved in with us. It worked…
Sonya Barnes August 25, 2019 Have you ever travelled someplace that you didn’t know the language? I have and it can be a very intimidating experience. I recall times of hand gestures, broken words from the language I do know, and looking for another language we may coincidentally know to try and communicate, only for…
