Feature Friday: Bobbie Murphy

Welcome to Feature Friday! Where we showcase a new teacher each week in an interview. For past Feature Friday interviews, go here

Today’s Feature Friday is highlighting Bobbie Murphy, a sixth-grade teacher in Utah. Bobbie says that her favorite part of teaching sixth-grade is that “I can have a personality with them. I love that I can share the things I like, and I can relate to them in more realistic ways.” Here’s what Bobbie has for us today:

What is one of your favorite ways to utilize technology in the classroom? 

“I love to use Digital Escape rooms, and I am super excited because I should be getting an Apple TV soon which will help me to not be tied to my cords to teach.”

How have you integrated the arts into your core curriculum? 

“I love to allow my students time to create using various supplies, or to plan activities where they can be creative like creating a shield during medieval times unit or to create something that would prevent an ice cream sandwich from melting.”

If you could recommend one children’s book, what would it be and why? 

“One of my most favorite books to read to my students is Out of my Mind. This book teaches students that they need to be more inclusive of others because the main character has a disability.”

What do you wish someone would have told you in your first year teaching? 

“I wish they would have told me how much I would grow to LOVE my students, and that I would be so incredibly exhausted for the first few weeks of school.”

What are the benefits you’ve seen in collaborating with your team of teachers? 

“When we truly collaborate with each other our teaching becomes easier because we are working together for the good of our entire grade. We use each other’s ideas to help individual students and our students as a whole.”

How do you use student voice in your classroom and what outcomes have you seen from it? 

“In my classroom, students help create the rules of our classroom which always come back to my ONE rule, do not interfere with others learning. In the classroom, I have a jar that says, “What I wish my teacher knew…” Students can place a note in the jar any time they need to talk with me in a private way. Students find that they can have opinions about things and that I will listen/ read each one, privately and I will respond as appropriate to their concerns.  I feel that if students trust me with the little things they will trust me with the big things too!”


Thanks Bobbie for taking time to answer some questions for us! She had some great things to share with us on what it looks like to be an educator. Come back for our Feature Friday next week to hear from a 4th-grade Utah teacher! 

#TeacherMom Struggles: What’s The Balance?

The other day I handed my 2.5-year-old scissors for the first time in her life. When handing them to her, I had a moment where I realized this was probably her first physical exposure with scissors herself instead of watching me use them, so I gave her a quick tutorial on how to hold them. 

Within minutes she was frustrated. She didn’t know how to cut the paper I had given her. I originally started her on this project so I could have a few minutes to cook dinner, so you can imagine my frustration when I had to go back over to show her, yet again!, how to hold and use the scissors. She worked diligently, and very, very slowly on cutting up a big sheet of construction paper into tiny pieces, struggling and asking for help the whole way. 

Once she had completed the construction paper, she moved on to the next task without consulting me first. The blanket. Luckily, we have some fairly dull kid scissors that won’t cut up the fabric so the blanket was saved, yet it still wasn’t okay. 

But it made me think that if I were teaching in a preschool, kinder, or first-grade classroom (maybe even older) and we pulled out scissors for the first time in a while, I would have an explicit lesson about what is okay to cut, scissor safety, and more. Yet with my daughter, I didn’t! A couple of thoughts I had about this situation-

  • Using scissors seems like such an every day, easy task to us who have used them for years and years. This is absolutely not the case with a toddler. 
  • Explicit instruction can do wonders. 
  • New activities such as using scissors aren’t for “from a distant” parenting. I should have chosen a safer activity I knew she could be successful and handle on her own. 
  • I try to turn off “teacher mode” often around her because while it’s valuable, I want to be play focused and not “coach” her too much throughout our day. But sometimes, teacher mode is okay and should come out. 

Mistakes were made! The first time a child picks up scissors they don’t need a quick tutorial, they need a sit-down, explicit lesson! I know that. I guess as a #teachermom, I expected myself to have a perfect balance of teacher mind and mom mind, and while it seems to work out some days, it doesn’t others. So here’s to me working hard at this balancing act of #teachermom life! 

You #teacherparents out there, do you struggle with finding a balance between being a parent and being a teacher to your kids? 

Feature Friday: Mary Wade

Welcome to Feature Friday! Where we showcase a new teacher each week in an interview. For past Feature Friday interviews, go here. 

Today’s Feature Friday is highlighting Mary Wade, a kindergarten teacher, AND the previous writer for this blog! She was willing to do this interview with me even amidst the crazy going on with schools shutting down during the global pandemic, not only for her as a teacher, but also as a mom. Here’s what Mary has for us. 

What is one of your favorite ways to utilize technology in the classroom?

“This is a definitely unique time for that question! Under normal circumstances, while teaching fifth-grade years ago, I would have said student blogging. I loved seeing their reflections and their confidence grow over time. But now that we’re on full remote teaching and I’m working with kindergarteners, I am loving Youtube. Parents don’t have to subscribe to see the links, our whole grade level is collaborating to contribute wonderful content, and we can organize our videos into playlists so it’s easy for little ones to watch more than one at a time. When I was working with fifth grade, we also enjoyed leveraging Youtube for flipped learning, particularly for math. Students could watch me teach a previously-recorded clip at their own pace, freeing me up for one-on-one instruction throughout the room.”

How have you integrated the arts into your core curriculum?

“My current Waldorf-inspired school is all about arts integration! It has been wonderful to have been challenged to do this more this year. For my kindergarteners, I have found that starting the first 15 minutes of our day with an art project has made for a wonderful soft start. Our PLC collaborates to find projects that inspire students to make connections to our curricula.”   

If you could recommend one children’s book, what would it be and why? 

“Just ONE??? Well, you know I’m just going to work around that by sharing my Goodreads list! But truly, recommending a children’s book is something I take seriously, and upon which much depends on the recommendee. I firmly believe in teachers as children’s book connoisseurs so we can be ready to give timely recommendations to our students! For example:”

Do they need to be inspired by the power of one voice? I’d say The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet! by Carmen Agra Deedy, or For Every One by Jason Reynolds. 

Do they need to laugh? Maybe We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins or Full of Beans by Jennifer Holm.

Are they a deep thinker? Perhaps Carl & the Meaning of Life by Deborah Freedman, Forever or A Day by Sarah Jacoby or The Nest by Kenneth Oppel. 

Do they love to explore the natural world? Definitely The Brilliant Deep by Kate Messner or The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood. 

Is poetry their jam? Probably When’s My Birthday by Julie Fogliano by or I’m Just No Good at Rhyming by Chris Harris. 

Are they after a just plain delightful story? Leave Me Alone by Vera Brosgol and Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage.

But if you really want just one, a read that’s close to my heart right now is All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon. It makes me feel connected and comforted amid all the “social distancing” right now. 

What is a big challenge you face often in teaching, and how do you overcome it? 

“Pacing has always been tricky for me. Planning specific questions beforehand has been key to my improvement.”

What do you wish someone would have told you in your first year teaching? 

“Just to brace yourself for the drinking-from-the-fire-hose volume of information you’d be expected to take into consideration at any given point. IEPs, bell schedules, allergies, recess duty, friendships, parent concerns–everything. I wish someone would have given me the tip to start the year with a spreadsheet of all the students where you can jot notes down as they come to help you gradually absorb it all. And don’t worry, eventually, you will, and you’ll get into a good flow. But be patient with yourself in the meantime!”

How have you seen education change in the years you’ve taught? 

“I taught both before and after Common Core, and while it’s far from perfect, there’s one powerful shift I’ve observed because of it: more “how do you know what you think you know?” Really helping students to learn to point to evidence to support their thinking, even from a very young age, is a profoundly-needed skill for all 21st-century learners.” 

What are the benefits you’ve seen in collaborating with your team of teachers? 

“There have been benefits throughout the year in arts integration like I’ve described above. But the benefits are even more tremendous right now as we are pulling together for this school closure. Everyone has different strengths, so as we contribute what we’re good at, it helps us pull this off!”

How do you use student voice in your classroom and what outcomes have you seen from it? 

“My favorite way to see student voice with my kindergarteners is in their writing. We have created personal word rings for each of them that we add to throughout the year, and we encourage them to think of their own sentences. Their emerging voices are nothing short of beautiful.”

What has been one of your favorite teaching moments so far? 

“This year, some of my favorite moments have been while gardening with my kindergarteners. Before COVID-19 started, we were working on clearing grass from our planter box. Students chose between hoes or rakes and experimented with their different functions as we cleared and tilled. The level of communication, cooperation, and mindfulness made it thoroughly a lovely and engaging time for us all.”

What tips do you have for teachers who take a few years off of teaching and then start again, as you did? 

“I would definitely practice interviewing beforehand. I didn’t realize just how rusty I’d gotten, but it had been 9 years since I’d last interviewed for a job! I’d also recommend taking the time to get to know your new grade level team outside of school if possible. Get together for lunch and learn about their “real” lives to build your relationships.”


Mary has so much information for us! Thank you for sharing your insights, and book lists, with us! It was so much fun featuring Mary on the blog today. She dedicated years and years to growing this blog and then trusted it in my hands while she teaches Kindergarten this year, so obviously we needed a Feature Friday for her! Thanks, Mary! 

Feature Friday: Kiera Rasmussen

Welcome to Feature Friday! Where we showcase a new teacher each week in an interview. For past Feature Friday interviews, go here

Today’s Feature Friday is highlighting Kiera Rasmussen, a first-grade teacher in Roanoke, Virginia. Mrs. Rasmussen loves teaching this age because they mostly have their foundation for learning, but are still young and excited about new information. She received her elementary education degree from Utah State University. 

What made you want to go into teaching? 

Ever since I can remember, I have loved working with children and teaching. I wanted a career that would make an impact on future generations and I could see the difference I was making.

If you could recommend one children’s book, what would it be and why? 

Giraffes Can’t Dance – I love the lesson that it teaches. It is okay to be different and unique! Everyone has something they are good at and it is not always the same as everyone else.

What is a big challenge you face often in teaching, and how do you overcome it? 

I worked in an inner-city school, so it was very challenging to have students from very rough homes and family life, and many students with behavior problems. What I kept in my mind the whole time is that they just need love and stability. My most important job as their teacher was to make sure the students knew they were loved and safe. It was also important to lean on coworkers and receive help.

What do you wish someone would have told you in your first year teaching? 

I wish someone would have told me that it is okay when lessons or days don’t go well! It doesn’t mean you are not doing a good job. Most of the time, following the lesson plan exactly does NOT work. It may not work exactly as thought for that group of kids or even just that day. Teaching requires adapting to the students.

Who influenced you most to choose a career education? 

My mom! She has been teaching for 25+ years. She taught while I was growing up, so I had the chance to watch her and learn so much from her. I had a lot of experience practicing and learning from her example.


Thanks Kiera for all of your insight! Come back next week to read our Feature Friday post from our old writer here at Honors Grad U, Mary Wade!

A Few Of My Favorite Teacher Memes

With so much going on in the world right now, let’s take a little break to laugh at some of my favorite teacher memes! Then share with your friends so they can laugh as well!

Because memes are so widespread and easily shared, it was nearly impossible for me to give credit where needed. However, many of the memes are made by Bored Teachers, you can see their logo on most of the pictures. I apologize for not giving proper credit to the rest of the memes.

You know this has been you too!
They didn’t prepare me for seating charts in my college classes!
It’s always good to look for the positive!
I want this hung in my classroom someday!

There truly is no happiness compared to the feeling of your students understanding the topics you’ve worked so tirelessly to teach them. Teaching comes with pros and cons galore, but we all know we do it for the children.

I hope this roll of memes helped you relax and laugh a little during such a stressful and crazy 2020 we are having. Stay safe and keep washing your hands!

Feature Friday: Patrick Tolman

Welcome to Feature Friday! Where we showcase a new teacher each week in an interview. For past Feature Friday interviews, go here.

Today’s Feature Friday is highlighting Patrick Tolman, a high school social studies teacher. Mr. Tolman received his Master’s degree in curriculum design with an emphasis on educational technology, so I took this interviewing opportunity to ask deeper questions about utilizing tech in classrooms. He had some great answers to share with us! 

What is your favorite thing about teaching high school social studies? 

“My favorite part of teaching social studies is having a student’s perspective. These ideas and opinions change from year to year and student to student and they always make the in-class discussions more valuable and allow us to talk about the historical thinking skills that I focus on in my class.”

What is one of your favorite ways to utilize technology in the classroom? 

“I love tools that allow students to provide their opinions or responses anonymously so that there are no barriers to student participation. Tools like polleverywhere or padlet that allow students to participate with their favorite device (their cellphone).  I have got some of the best responses from students using these tools that I am fairly certain I would not have received with a traditional question, answer, raise your hand, response type of situation.  I got my Master’s degree in curriculum design and instruction with an emphasis on educational technology and my thesis was about improving the classroom using cell phones so I could go on about what a great opportunity teachers have to help students engage more with these devices.”

What are the benefits you have seen by utilizing technology in your classroom?

“The biggest benefit of using technology in the classroom is that you are giving students more buy-in.  Technology plays such a large role in students’ lives today that by using it in class you are giving the students a king of validation to a part of themselves. Especially if you make use of their cell phones!”  

There are a lot of frustrations that come with using technology, how do you move past this and keep it a positive aspect in your teaching? 

“You have to plan ahead and be ok with some hiccups in using it at first. Just like regular classroom management you have to establish norms for how it is used in class. But…….”

What advice do you have for the educators out there currently using minimal technology, but want to expand and use more? 

“You can’t be afraid to use new things.  We ask the kids to learn new things all the time so we have to be willing to do the same.  Education is a field in which we have to be in the process of continual improvement!  There are so many tools out there you are bound to find something that will make your classroom more engaging and likely make the presentation of information easier!”

What are your best tips for avoiding burnout? 

“Plan ahead.  Put in some extra work in the summer to prepare for the school year so that you aren’t stressed preparing last minute.  If possible do your grading at work and then leave it at work. Don’t take it home with you. When you go home, be home and present for your home life.”

How do you use student voice in your classroom and what outcomes have you seen from it? 

“I teach at an alternative high school and some of the responses I get from students are inappropriate and have to be addressed as such, but in general, I try to make sure that even if students give an answer that is not correct that we explore their response and talk about it so that students feel that their voice is heard and matters.  The outcome I see from this is that most students are willing to speak up and answer in class which is great for me as a teacher and great for them to buy into what we are discussing.” 


Thanks, Mr. Tolman, for your great thoughts and for diving deeper into the ever-growing educational technology.

Come back next week for a very special Feature Friday, where our old writer here at Honors Grad U, Mary Wade will be showering us with her wisdom once again!

Feature Friday: Cassie Lee

Welcome to Feature Friday! Where we showcase a new teacher each week in an interview. For past Feature Friday interviews, go here. 

Today’s Feature Friday is highlighting Cassie Lee, an elementary teacher in West Jordan, Utah. She taught second grade for a year and is currently teaching in a first-grade classroom. Here’s what Cassie has to say: 

What is your favorite thing about teaching this age/subject?

“First graders are so enthusiastic and curious about everything! They are all little scientists and just want to know more about the world around them. Any question or experience can be turned into a teaching opportunity, and I love fostering that love of learning in them. They have such a love of life and there is never a dull moment in my classroom. How many people can say their job is never boring?” 

What made you want to go into teaching? 

“My main reason for going into teaching was that I wanted to pay forward the hard work that good teachers before me had done. My dad is an immigrant and had some teachers who impacted his life greatly, to the point where he named my brother after one of them. Those teachers took the time to really care and went above and beyond the call of duty. I myself had many amazing teachers who also took the time to get to know me and loved me for who I was. I wanted to be able to have that kind of impact in the lives of children as well.” 

What is one of your favorite ways to utilize technology in the classroom? 

“At the first school I taught at, I had a SmartBoard in my room and that was a really fun, engaging and interactive tool. My students loved getting to use it and interact with it. It had its fair share of shortcomings and glitches (I will never forget when it didn’t want to work during an observation, ahh!) but overall it was an enjoyable resource. My students could sort information on it, roll interactive dice, write on it, etc. It gave all of them an interactive visual to participate with during my lessons and I enjoyed learning the variety of ways I could use it in my classroom.”

How have you integrated the arts into your core curriculum? 

“I enjoy using visual art in my teaching most of all, but I also enjoy using elements of drama, dance, and music. Integrating the arts is engaging and enjoyable and gives students more chances to be creative and demonstrate their learning.” 

“As a first-grade teacher, I have to keep my kids moving, so we act out and dance a lot. We will also learn songs connected to our curriculum too. Due to time constraints and maintaining a rigorous pace, I integrate social studies and science into reading, and I integrate the arts into that as well. We do an art project every Friday that is linked to the unit we studied that week. It is a really fun way to cap off that week’s worth of learning.”

If you could recommend one children’s book, what would it be and why? 

“What a hard thing to do! I openly acknowledge that I am addicted to kids’ books. So I’m going to cheat a little and give two answers.”

“If I had to pick a book to use for teaching, it would be The Panda Problem by Deborah Underwood. It is such a fun and clever way to teach story elements and get the kids engaged in narrative writing.”

“If I had to pick one children’s book that changed my life personally it would be The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. What a heart-wrenching and beautiful story. It really tugs at your heart and makes you think. If I taught an older grade I would totally read it as a read-aloud.”

What are your best tips for avoiding burnout? 

“That’s a big question. Burnout is very real and very overwhelming. I recommend remembering to take time for yourself and your own hobbies, outside of teaching. I myself am married but don’t have any kids. It’s easy for me to come home and work non-stop. I’m learning how to cut myself off and take time for self-care. It’s not a selfish thing, it’s how I keep myself healthy and fully able to do my job to my best ability.” 

“I’m also working on saying no. That sounds weird, but I tend to be the kind of person who just keeps accepting more and more additional work and responsibilities. I like being helpful and tackling big projects, but I’ve started noticing that I am burning out quickly. It’s important to be self-reflective and learn to create some boundaries.”

What do you wish someone would have told you in your first year teaching? 

“That it’s okay to acknowledge my mistakes and apologize to my class. Whether that was over something I mistaught, a situation I mishandled, etc. You’re not a bad teacher because you’re not perfect. You’re not a bad teacher for messing up. You’re just human, and that’s okay. It’s always funny to me how my kids react to me apologizing. They’re always so shocked. Adults hardly ever apologize to kids for their mistakes, right? But it’s a valuable lesson to see and learn- no one is perfect, and that’s okay.”

What are the benefits you’ve seen in collaborating with your team of teachers? 

“We all learn from each other! I have always been the youngest person on my teams and I worried in the beginning about not being able to contribute. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Younger teachers bring a fresh perspective and new ideas. It’s been really enjoyable to collaborate and see what comes of it. Everyone benefits and all of our teaching practices improve.”

How do you use student voice in your classroom and what outcomes have you seen from it? 

“Student voice is a funny thing in first grade. First graders can be very random and silly, so I try to hone that to my advantage. You gotta think quickly on your feet when a kid replies to your question with a random answer, like telling you their pet’s name. I always try to affirm their initial response but will push for deeper thinking with questioning. I want kids to feel comfortable to be themselves and express themselves, but I also want them to learn how to do that respectfully. They are all such unique individuals, so it’s also fun to work on collaborative projects, like a class story or art project.”


Thanks, Cassie for the great words you have for us today!