Author Archives: Annie Campbell

December knocks on my classroom door in the way that no other month does or can. “You are not letting me in,” says December. “Oh, but I will!” And I do. But I do it carefully. I generally love Target … Continue reading →

On Thanksgiving we were in the car on the way to my mother’s house. It was the kind of day in the fall that I think of as a “Dick and Jane” kind of day—where the sun is shining and … Continue reading →

“Mrs. Campbell, it feels like we are a family in here.”  I put my hands on her shoulders and smiled down into those earnest eyes– I nodded because I felt it, too.  Mission accomplished.  And right on time. In these … Continue reading →

This summer we read books to our  granddaughter.  As soon as we would finish,  baby Georgia would push the book back toward us.  The message was clear: “Again.”   And so we would read it again. And again.  And again. This … Continue reading →

My third graders have informal homework on the weekends.  It is not something  I can check or test or monitor, but it is key to their writing.  The assignment is this: “Look at the world with the eyes of a … Continue reading →

Today, the first Tuesday after Labor Day, is my “Teacher Anniversary.”  The true celebration begins when the bell rings.  A new class of children will be invited to learn with me and to love the world with me.  It is … Continue reading →

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.                                                — John Muir I’ve spent this summer outside.  Most of my pictures are  archived in memory and can only be shared with words.   Like this one: on an … Continue reading →

A red balloon bounced in the air above my head as I held on tightly to its string. We dodged white crepe myrtles, bicycles, scooters, skipping children, and dogs of all sizes on the school sidewalk. Once through the double … Continue reading →

I am clearly not too cool for school.  In fact, it is safe to say that I’m a fool for school. Every day. Last week was Teacher Appreciation Week. One of the cards that I will always treasure said, “I … Continue reading →

Strategic planning.  I wasn’t looking forward to it.  Who would?  I imagined a boardroom table and multicolored markers and endless reams of newsprint attached to walls with yellowing tape. I imagined personal agendas silently clashing in the drone of conciliatory … Continue reading →