Take your classroom back with an Authority of Care
My husband and I are opposites in most ways. He’s private, and I’m an open book. He’s funny, and my comic timing doesn’t exist. He’s...
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Amber Chandler
- Jun 27
- 3 min
There IS a Reason to Be Worried About SEL
I always get choked up as the teachers at my school wave and cheer the students off on the last day of classes. We line the driveway,...
Amber Chandler
- Aug 18, 2021
- 3 min
Waffle Cones and the Construct of Time
I'm frugal. Some (my husband) would say I'm cheap. I'd like to argue that I'm easily satisfied, but anyone who knows my obsession with...
Amber Chandler
- May 4, 2021
- 5 min
Fondly,
If you’ve ever received a card from me, you’ll notice that I often sign it with the closing “Fondly, Amber.” I have adopted this ideal...
Amber Chandler
- Apr 22, 2021
- 3 min
This is the part of the pandemic when we all sigh. . .
It's standardized test time. It's do we or don't we bring students back to in-person school time. It's tax time. It's do we send students...
Amber Chandler
- Jan 31, 2021
- 2 min
There's nothing standard about this. . .
I'm not a standardized test fan for a whole bunch of reasons, but to suggest that this school year we NEED standardized test to measure...
Amber Chandler
- Jan 28, 2021
- 3 min
"Ketchup Day" (a small, manageable rant)
Monday, I cancelled a meeting. Tuesday, we ordered take-out. Wednesday I worked 11 hours without leaving my school building, barely saw...
Amber Chandler
- Jan 16, 2021
- 5 min
Sidelined
I have been sidelined for the last two weeks. I hurt my knee and IT band, and I was instructed to rest and heal. For those of you who...
Amber Chandler
- Jan 10, 2021
- 3 min
If not now, when?
I've been stuck on the couch for almost a week now with an IT band strain, and it has been a confluence of SO.MUCH.NEWS, boredom, and...
Amber Chandler
- Dec 29, 2020
- 1 min
Save My Progress
When I first played Super Mario Brothers as an adult, I noticed that there was an amazing new feature. My son, after he'd reached a...
Amber Chandler
- Sep 3, 2020
- 4 min
What Phase Is This?
My kids and I were talking and discussing the fact that Covid-time is completely different than "real time." We just passed the 6 month...
Amber Chandler
- May 24, 2020
- 2 min
Taking Care of Business
As most of you know, my dad is in the hospital. His prognosis is a roller coaster ride, and the fact that our communication with him is...
Amber Chandler
- Oct 11, 2019
- 1 min
It Gets Better In October
Starting an entirely new program, in a new building, with teachers I'd never worked with (or met, in some cases), with FRESHMEN, was a...
Amber Chandler
- Mar 1, 2019
- 3 min
Sharing Our Daughters
When I was pregnant with Zoey--14 years ago--I felt incredibly insecure about the type of mom I wanted to be. I read everything I could...
Amber Chandler
- Feb 16, 2019
- 3 min
Observation Observation
In Buffalo, we recently had a weather "situation" that led to three days in a row off from school. As this "situation" was developing, I...
Amber Chandler
- Feb 7, 2019
- 2 min
It Always Matters Who Is In The Room
As a middle school teacher, I look at my adjunct professor role as an opportunity to connect with other adults and help share what I've...
Amber Chandler
- Jan 4, 2019
- 2 min
Shaking Things Up with Resource Groups
Happy New Year! Yesterday, when my students returned to class I needed to shake things up a bit. We'd grown close during the beginning of...
Amber Chandler
- Nov 13, 2018
- 1 min
We Are A Community . . . and it shows!
Last week we got loud. There were hoots, hollers, stomps, claps, and some standing ovations. There were chants of names, and there were...
Amber Chandler
- Nov 21, 2017
- 1 min
Reading With Purpose
My favorite book to teach is probably A Prayer for Owen Meany, but given that I no longer have access to AP Lit students on a regular...
Amber Chandler
- Oct 19, 2017
- 2 min
Strategic Groupings for Academic and SEL
This has been an awesome month of school. It is really flying by, and as we do final edits of our Credo essays, I'm already making some...