Author Archives: Danielle Sabato

I always assume that people act with good intentions. Maybe I shouldn’t, but I think it’s easier to foster conversation that way. I tend to be a “flip it” and a “let’s take a look at this from a different perspective” kind of person.  Right now, teaching is hard. It’s just as hard as allContinue reading “Messages”

I’m struggling. I’ve been doing this gig for over a decade and a half and everything got flipped-turned upside down, and there is no auntie and uncle in Bel-Air. I started class with a song from 1999 with some powerful lyrics as kids entered the classroom.  Big flop.  Sorry, Des’ree. I forgot to let kidsContinue reading “Be More Us”

The Magic 8 Ball. I think this should be the official talisman of 2020.  It’s as close to a crystal ball as we’re likely to find. Let’s imagine the kinds of insight it could offer us right about now… Will I feel fully prepared to start the school year? My sources say no. Will IContinue reading “Reply hazy, try again”

There have been many controversial topics, questions, concerns, and fears that have come to light in 2020 (basically you name it and it’s happened — Tiger King and murder hornets, both of which sound fictional at best and horrifying at worst — revealed themselves to be a real thing this year 🤦).  Seriously though, withContinue reading “Reimagining School”

 You might be familiar with a well-told story in which a man asks a young boy what he wants to be when he grows up, and the child responds — “kind.” The exchange is rife with miscommunication. The boy’s answer prompts the adult to believe that he simply didn’t understand the question. To the man’sContinue reading “Who do you want to be?”

Without the backdrop of a pandemic-induced sense of urgency, Sesame Street broke down barriers and used public television to educate children. They’re still up and running, continuing to this day to help children learn the fundamentals – from math and literacy to  to expressing emotions and coping with hard times. It serves as a goodContinue reading “Can you tell me how to get…?”

I’m feeling a bit homesick. I guess that seems weird given that that’s where the majority of the world is stationed right now — at home. I tend to see things a bit differently, though, and so I’ve always been a firm believer that home isn’t merely a place. It’s a feeling. One that transcendsContinue reading “Hiraeth”

I was struggling with what to write this week. I have so many thoughts and feelings that I wasn’t sure how to sew them together or if I should even try to. How coherently would a cobbled-together Franken-blog post turn out to be?  And then I saw this. It was just the reminder I neededContinue reading “Frankenstein”

Hey, teachers: just in case no one has told you lately – YOU ARE AMAZING! Really and truly. Teacher Appreciation Week is upon us, and if you’re anything like me, then the events and tokens that typically crop up during this week fill you with apprehension and maybe even a touch of dread. In myContinue reading “Dear Teachers”

Just when I thought I might be hitting a rhythm with asynchronous learning, something happened that made me skip a beat. Twice. My school district informed everyone that we would be rolling out Google Meet as a platform for weekly, real-time interactions with our classes. As soon as the directive came in, a torrent ofContinue reading “I Miss Your Face”