Juneteenth (On My Own Holidays) June 19th, 1865, began as another hot day in Texas. Africans who were enslaved worked in fields, in barns, and in the homes of the white people who owned them. Then a message arrived. Juneteenth: Freedom! Slavery had ended! The Civil War had actually ended in April. It took two […]
Franchesca Warren
For fifteen years Franchesca taught English/Language Arts in two urban districts in Atlanta, Georgia, and Memphis, Tennessee. Increasingly frustrated with decisions being made about public education from people who were not in the classroom, in 2012 she decided to start a blog about what it was really like to teach in public schools. In the last four years, The Educator's Room has grown to become the premiere source for resources, tools, and strategies for all things teaching and learning. To learn more about Franchesca Warren's work, please visit www.franchescalanewarren.com.
Teaching Writing to Secondary Students is Hard, But It’s Necessary
During my first year of teaching, I had a brilliant student named Joshua*. Joshua was a Junior who was wise beyond his years. He loved to talk about books. He loved to debate different topics in class. However, it wasn’t until we read the cult favorite, The Color Purple, during the first nine weeks when […]
Abbott Elementary: Development Week was a Mess!
Note: I know I’m a week late on this review. Blame it on the back-to-school season where all you can do is work-sleep-work for the first month. Abbott Elementary is back, and all is right in our world. Last week teachers around the country let out a sigh of relief as their favorite teachers: Jeanine, […]
Frederick Douglass: “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”
Click here to watch the descendants of Frederick Douglass read this speech. Mr. President, Friends and Fellow Citizens: He who could address this audience without a quailing sensation, has stronger nerves than I have. I do not remember ever to have appeared as a speaker before any assembly more shrinkingly, nor with greater distrust of […]
President Biden Pushes For Teachers To Get Their COVID Vaccine Dose By March
As teachers continue to push to be pushed ahead of the lines for COVID-19 vaccines, President Joe Biden said Tuesday that he wants every teacher, school staff, and child care worker in the United States to get at least one shot in March. This comes amidst more guidance that says the schools can safely reopen […]
Betsy DeVos Resigns: Most Teachers Say Good Riddance
In the wake of the domestic terrorism by Trump supporters, Betsy DeVos was the second Cabinet from the Trump administration who has resigned. In her resignation letter sent on Thursday, she directly pointed to President Donald Trump for flaming the seeds of tension as his supporters stormed the nation’s capital. In her statement released to […]
Class Divide in Emergency Learning: A Crisis Overseas
By: Barry Anthony Parrenas & Mer Inisa Ogario September 10, 2020 Six years ago, our hometown was struck by Yolanda (international name: Haiyan), the strongest typhoon that has made landfall in recent history. At least 20,000 people died and went missing after the storm; several of our families and friends included. Directly facing the Pacific […]
Practicing Self-Care in the Midst of Chaos
Guest Writer: Dolisha Mitchell As a teacher, we all know we tend to spend an unhealthy amount of time at school. Early mornings and late afternoons become the theme for each school year. Every year we tell ourselves we’ll have a better work-life balance, but fall victim to those old habits. Before you know it […]