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Milestones and Memories
Hello, It's hard to believe it's been nearly a decade since I published my first blog post, " I Already Have High Standards ," back in...

Heather Lyon
Jan 22, 20254 min read


Saying No to Negativity
Hello, For reasons that I cannot explain, certain parts of songs, movies, books, and TV shows have stayed with me despite the decades...

Heather Lyon
Jan 15, 20255 min read


Plot Twist
Hello, Dirty Dancing. The mere mention of those two words likely conjures up images of Patrick Swayze's iconic lift, Jennifer Grey's...

Heather Lyon
Jan 8, 20254 min read


Present Company Included
Hello, If I were to ask you to tell me about a present you received that you really loved—for whatever reason—what comes to mind? A...

Heather Lyon
Dec 11, 20245 min read


Tell Me Why
Hello, In 1999, The Backstreet Boys released, "I Want It That Way." In the song, the chorus declares, "Tell me why" repeatedly. While the...

Heather Lyon
Dec 4, 20247 min read


Better Late Than Never: A Post on the Engagement Framework
Hello, Engagement is a topic I think about constantly. Each week, as I write my blog posts, if there is something related to engagement...

Heather Lyon
Nov 20, 20246 min read


Game Over: Finding Healthy Ways to Disrupt the Blame Game
Hello, I am thirteen months younger than my older sister, Brooke. Growing up, our sibling rivalry was intense, and the inevitable...

Heather Lyon
Nov 13, 20247 min read


Rooting Around
Hello, While in a recent PD session, the facilitator, Dr. Robert Chalwell, Jr. , had us read three scenarios and choose one or two to...

Heather Lyon
Nov 6, 20245 min read


Coming Up Short
Hello, This fall, I returned to school for the first time in nearly a decade, pursuing my School District Business Leader (SDBL)...

Heather Lyon
Oct 23, 20247 min read


Yes, And!
Hello, Let me say overtly and without question, teachers everywhere deserve raises. They are underpaid and overworked. The pay gap is...

Heather Lyon
Oct 16, 20244 min read


The Results Are In
Hello, In 1966, The Who released the song “The Kids Are Alright” as a celebration of youthful rebellion and optimism. It captured the...

Heather Lyon
Oct 9, 20244 min read


Tell Your Story
Hello, If you’ve been following Lyon’s Letters , you already know I’m not exactly the athletic type. In the post “ The Pen, the Throw,...

Heather Lyon
Oct 2, 20244 min read


Navigating with Norms
Hello, A friend of mine started a new job recently as a building principal. On the opening day, my friend took the time to have the staff...

Heather Lyon
Sep 18, 20247 min read


Silver Jubilee
Hello, If you had asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, from my earliest age, I would have said, “ballerina.” There's some irony...

Heather Lyon
Sep 11, 20244 min read


Mix Tape: The Hits of the 23/24 Soundtrack
Hello, This is my last new letter of the 23/24 school year, and what a year it’s been! I wanted to take a moment to spotlight some of the...

Heather Lyon
Jun 19, 20245 min read


The Educational Lottery: Without Systematic Supports, Children Lose
Hello, photo courtesy of https://betworld96au.com/ (Betworld Casinos) https://i.imgur.com/6y93J2N.jpeg According to the post, “ Lottery Statistics and Revenue by State ,” in 2021 alone, “Americans spent approximately $95.6 billion on lottery tickets.” If you break that down, “on average, Americans spent $288 per capita in 2021 on lottery tickets.” Moreover, “the most recent polling data shows that roughly 50% of Americans buy a lottery ticket at least once a year and the ma

Heather Lyon
Jun 12, 20247 min read


Diving Into the Unknown: How to Respond to Students Who Don't Turn In Work
Hello, Shakespeare said, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” His point was labels don’t matter. When it comes to grading,...

Heather Lyon
Jun 5, 20247 min read


It's Time to Do Better: Alternatives to Penalizing Late Work with Zeros
Hello, Traditional classroom practices often focus on punishing behaviors like late work with grade deductions. Why? Because it’s what...

Heather Lyon
May 22, 20248 min read


Who Knew: Why Timeliness Should Not Be Considered In Grading
Hello, I have a question for you. Imagine the grade at the top of a student’s paper says 80%. What should that tell you about the...

Heather Lyon
May 15, 20245 min read


Get In the Game: The Importance of Challenges to Learning
Hello, This series has explored the multifaceted impact of grades on learning. I began by establishing validity and reliability related...

Heather Lyon
Apr 30, 20247 min read
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