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Welcome!

This blog will document my journey toward a new chapter chapter in my career. I love working with second graders, and watching their excitement, confidence, and joy grow as they become proficient readers. There is something magical about working day in and day out with a child and seeing them finally light up with understanding, thrilled they are able to read and truly understand a story. I love sharing my adventures with these students, and encouraging them to set off on adventures beyond their wildest dreams.

What I am learning along the way is how much I have to learn! So, follow along as I go back to school and discover so much more about how to inspire these students to be and do their best.

The joy is in the journey, and the journey never ends!

Mrs. Jessica Shivers

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What I Have Learned

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Working with children from different backgrounds requires us to take a flexible approach to teaching. What I have planned for the day may not connect to the students in a way that is helpful because if a cultural disconnect, difference in vocabulary or background knowledge, or because it brings up a microaggression I was not aware of. That’s why planning with inclusion in mind is essential, but so also is the flexibility to modify a lesson when that disconnect or oppression is witnessed. A goal I have moving forward from this course is to be more intentional in my planning and implementation throughout the school year to not just focus on teaching students reading, writing, and math, but also broaden their ideas about the world in a meaningful way that is relevant to their lives. When we as teachers intertwine the academics with social justice and inclusion, we can make time for empowering advocacy.             My hope, then, is to be effective in sending students to third grade a
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