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Fundamental Friday
Fundamental Friday is a weekly blog series that returns to the core values of education, equity, purpose, relationships, and reflection. It’s a space to explore big ideas, ground daily practice in meaningful beliefs, and reconnect with the “why” behind our work.
Breaking the Habit: Shifting from Sarcasm to Constructive Talk
Fundamental Friday: Sarcasm Isn’t a Classroom Management Tool Oh, wonderful. Another teacher is using sarcasm as a classroom management...
Catherine Addor
Sep 19, 20253 min read
Fundamental Friday: What Shade of Blue? The Power of Precision in Rubrics
Blue When I explain what an evaluation rubric is (for teachers or any professional context), I often refer to it as the foundation of...
Catherine Addor
Sep 12, 20253 min read
Fundamental Friday
There Is No Such Thing as a "Curricular Disability" I have heard educators say, “I taught it, they didn’t learn it.” Let’s pause here. If...
Catherine Addor
Sep 5, 20253 min read
Stop Normalizing “Above and Beyond”
I received (not once, but twice) the end-of-the-year “Above and Beyond the Call of Duty” award from an organization I worked for. On the...
Catherine Addor
Aug 29, 20253 min read
Fields of Opportunity: Why Every Student Deserves Ag Education
This week, as my daughter shows her rabbits as part of 4-H at the county fair, I am reminded of the unique and essential role...
Catherine Addor
Aug 22, 20252 min read
The COVID Babies Are Coming: What We Can Do to Be Ready — and Why It Matters
In the fall of 2020, I remember walking past the local playground. The swings were wrapped in yellow caution tape. The climbing structure...
Catherine Addor
Aug 15, 20253 min read
Fundamental Friday
Rewriting the Script on Parent Partnerships As educators prepare to launch a new school year, a familiar narrative is resurfacing across...
Catherine Addor
Aug 8, 20253 min read
Becoming Heart Ready
Summer in education is a break and a bridge. A quiet, necessary pause between the final bell and the next chapter. The school year is...
Catherine Addor
Aug 1, 20253 min read
The Case for Collective Practice
When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the foundations of schooling, many of us found ourselves looking up and seeing no clear direction....
Catherine Addor
Jul 25, 20253 min read
We’ve Been Doing It Wrong: Community Engagement Isn’t What You Think
Community engagement is the most overused, underdefined term in education. We list it in mission statements. We reference it in grants....
Catherine Addor
Jul 18, 20253 min read
Relevance Is Rigor That Resonates
“We are not here to make things harder. We are here to make things matter.” It’s a truth that every great educator eventually learns: The...
Catherine Addor
Jul 11, 20252 min read
We Want Them to Talk… Until They Do
We say we want students to engage. We design lessons that encourage discourse. We ask open-ended questions, create accountable talk...
Catherine Addor
Jul 4, 20253 min read
Fundamental Friday: Shifting from “I’m So Proud of You” to “You Should Be So Proud"
Leadership is more than encouragement; it’s about empowerment. There’s a subtle but powerful difference between saying “I’m so proud of...
Catherine Addor
Jun 27, 20252 min read
Responsibility Comes Before Accountability
In a field increasingly driven by external metrics and public-facing results, educational leaders are often measured by test scores,...
Catherine Addor
Jun 20, 20253 min read
Forward is Forward
There’s a moment every educator, parent, or school leader recognizes when a student makes a small step that feels enormous. Maybe they...
Catherine Addor
Jun 13, 20253 min read
Helping Kids Navigate Truth in a Noisy World, Together
In today’s information-saturated world, the ability to distinguish between fact and opinion is not just a reading comprehension skill;...
Catherine Addor
Jun 6, 20252 min read
Engaging Generation Alpha: A New Blueprint for Family-School Partnerships
Fundamental Friday | Addor-ation Innovation Services Who is Generation Alpha? Born between 2010 and the mid-2020s, Generation Alpha is...
Catherine Addor
May 30, 20253 min read
Trains Don’t Move Without Engineers
Leading the Whole System We all know the saying “trains don’t move without engineers” , but have we ever really thought about what that...
Catherine Addor
May 23, 20252 min read
So You Think You Want to Be a Teacher? 10 Questions to Ask Yourself First
Teaching is not a fallback career. It’s not a day job or a temporary stepping stone. It’s a calling, one that demands heart,...
Catherine Addor
May 16, 20253 min read
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