We have all heard this…
The what is in the standards … the how is up to you
This is why I do what I do every day. I love the freedom in taking the standards I need to cover and making them my own, developing lessons and units that meet the needs of my students and allow me to make connections to past and future learning.
Discovering ways to help my students master the essential understandings is, for me, the most exciting part of teaching. Of course realizing that my best laid plans aren’t doing the trick is the most frustrating aspect of teaching. But, out of that frustration comes the opportunity to refine my craft. My favorite way to reexamine my efforts is to plan, brainstorm and teach with my colleagues. I love to tag team the students because two or three brains are better than one!!!
I am fortunate to work in a district where I feel that I have the freedom to take our programs, old and new, and make them work for my classroom. While keeping the spirit and integrity of the program intact, I can work with my colleagues to tailor our lessons to our kids. The results can be a custom fit worthy of Project Runway glory! And, if the look isn’t quite right, instead of hearing, Auf Wiedersehen, we can “make it work” with a new design. Ok, enough with the fashion analogies and I apologize if you’re not a Heidi Klum fan. (I wonder if I could make a connection to Real Housewives of New Jersey and Freedom in Structure? Yes, I am watching Bravo while I’m writing this)
This year we implemented the Better Answers protocol. Like most programs, you can use the book as is, but for me, using the book and its protocol to design my own PowerPoint presentations, writing activities, and mini lessons, helps me dissect and digest the information so I can get “it” and pass “it” on the best way I see how. This means using the language in the book and making the connections for my students, connections I know will help them best use their new strategies and skills. Again, I am so lucky to have a colleague who is on the same page and together, we really worked hard this year to make Better Answers work for our students. And luckily, I have several other colleagues that really share my passion for teaching and the desire to make it work (oops, there I go again) for our students. After all, freedom’s no fun if you’re in it alone.
Finally, as a New Hampshire native, I can’t help but say, Teach Free and Thrive
I know it’s corny, but I couldn’t resist 
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Beth Cavalier grew up in Exeter, NH with her parents and two younger sisters. She graduated from Boston College in 1995 with a degree in Political Science. Working in a private pre-school in Connecticut after graduating inspired her to pursue her teaching certificate in special education at Westfield State College. After working in the Agawam Public School system as a Title 1 assistant for a year, she and her husband moved back to New Hampshire and she began working in Amesbury, MA as a special education teacher both in a self-contained setting and in a co-teaching model. When the opportunity presented itself, she became a general education teacher and taught a grade 2/3 loop for eight years. She is currently in her second year as a member of the fourth grade team and her thirteenth year of teaching in the Amesbury Public School system. Beth earned a master’s degree from Lesley University in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Literacy and a Certificate in Advanced Graduate Studies from Plymouth State University in School Leadership. She has served on various curriculum committees, the Writing Assessment Team, the Math Assessment Team and the Strategic Planning Team in Amesbury. She lives in the seacoast of New Hampshire with her husband and daughter. 
