Nikki Woodbury is the co-founder of LightUpEDU and serves as the Assistant Principal of Dundee Middle School in West Dundee, Illinois. Before joining the DMS staff, she was the English Division Head and English teacher at Dundee-Crown High School  In this role, her focus was on curriculum design and instructional coaching.  Nikki graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in English Education.  Additionally, she has a Master’s Degree in Literacy and Educational Leadership.

Recent Posts by Nikki:

Education’s New Lingo

I went to my children’s curriculum night last week.  Throughout the twenty-minute presentation, their teachers made mention of so many of the key topics in education: PBIS, flexible seating, growth mindset, data/benchmark testing, technology, Common Core, no-homework...

read more

A Few Simple Words

“Make today so awesome that yesterday is jealous.”   I saw this in a classroom today.  And, it made me smile. I love phrases that this.  A few simple words can completely shift your mindset.  Our words-whether they are said or written somewhere for all to see-have a...

read more

Accepting the Reality of Your Dream

Today, I felt like an administrator.  I spent the majority of the day doing paperwork, working on observation feedback, changing schedules, calling back parents, watching bus video and sitting in meetings.  I had very little contact with kids. I hate that.  A lot. I...

read more

A Perspective Check

I spend a lot of time at the ball field.  There’s a sign that is posted sporadically around Little League fields that always makes me smile.  It’s a simple reminder of perspective. These are kids.  This is a game.  Coaches are volunteers.  Umpires are human.  Your...

read more

Relationships are the Real Deal

I had a win today.   I’ve been working with a group of students who are rather high maintenance, for lack of a better description. They can be exhausting. In real life, I despise drama and avoid it at all costs. But, in my role, I’m immersed in it every day. Middle...

read more

Digital Reading: Is it “real” reading?

Tuesday, August 28, 2018 Is reading online the same as reading a book? I’m not sure. My son would prefer to read on his Chromebook every night of the week. Truth: I struggle with that. As an educator, I know and understand the change in our world. We need to embrace...

read more

Challenging Beliefs

Monday, August 27, 2018 Homework. I know it’s a very divisive topic, so I’ll tread lightly. While I know that opinions are strong, I also know that thinking changes over time. Mine certainly has. When I first started teaching, I assigned a lot of homework. I believed...

read more

Trust in your Team

Sunday, August 26, 2018 I was looking through my Twitter feed again this evening and came across this. (Still working on the Twitter thing) “A team is not a group of people who work together. A team is a group of people who trust each other.” Simon Sinek Trust is...

read more

Building a Foundation

Thursday, August 23, 2018 Yesterday, I was doing drop ins and went into a classroom working on a unique activity. Students were working collaboratively in order to fold paper. At first glance, this activity could seem useless. However, by asking, “what’s this all...

read more

Get new posts in your email!

Join our mailing list to receive the latest posts from LightUpEDU! We will never spam you, promise!

Please check your email to confirm your subscription!

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This