I’ve been challenged by parents plenty of times in my career. However, one that often protrudes in my mind is a 12-page email I received 7 years ago. In teaching about the post-Civil War Reconstruction, I shared both the late Abraham Lincoln and Radical Republican plans for what the South would look like as the […]
Jake Miller
Mr. Jake Miller is the 2016 National History Day Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year, a 2017 NEA Global Fellow to China, and a former candidate for county-wide office. Miller has written more than 500 articles, most of which have appeared on The Educator's Room. He's the opening contributor to TER's book When the Fire Is Gone. Learn more about Jake at www.MrJakeMiller.com
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
A Teacher’s Goodbye to His Preacher
In the Bible, Jesus is referred to by the term “rabbi” at least 15 times, mostly by his disciples. The amount of times that He “taught” or “teaches” people is debatable, but one can argue that each time Jesus talked, there was a lesson that was to be involved. No, Jesus didn’t differentiate or call […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Teacher Appreciation Week
Ah, Teacher Appreciation Week. When we reach this time of the year, I often glance at this limerick I wrote my first year of teaching: Oh my, it’s been quite the yearI’ve been tested ear-to-earDaily by these studentsWho tried my patienceAt least school year’s end is near! While I wrote it mostly in jest, it […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Teachers, National History Day Needs Your Help
This past week, the National History Day program announced that it lost one of its biggest benefactors. Though National History Day (NHD) doesn’t announce the benefactor’s name, it does reveal how much it’s going to hurt the program — a total net loss of $800,000, annually. If you don’t know what the National History Day […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The Prize: Mark Zuckerberg & His $100 Million Gift to Newark Public Schools (Book Review)
The subtitle of Dale Russakoff’s book begs the question —Â who’s in charge of America’s schools? In the push-and-pull system of school reformers vs. union members, outsiders vs. insiders, school boards vs. state and federal leaders, elites vs. grassroots, admin vs. teachers, and a host of other stakeholders over the “best interests of students,” it’s not […]
Posted inTeacher Leaders
“Active Monitoring” Standardized Tests Is a Joke
Most states have a guide for how educators should properly proctor a standardized test. Chief among the list of directions is teacher behavior while students are testing. Those of us proctoring tests are bound to come across the term “active monitoring” (AK-tiv * Mahn-it-ORR-ing) N. – educational jargon-ese for teachers doing nothing other than staring at their […]
Posted inFeatured
20 April Fools’ Pranks for Educators
I love Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, but one of his greatest contributions is giving us our first written record of playing pranks on one another come April 1st. With Tax Day just 2 weeks later, standardized testing season right around the corner, and everybody itching for Spring Break, I have some pranks for you to […]
Posted inSpecial Education
Sesame Street’s Julia: Changing the Way We See Autism
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”  This quote from women’s rights advocate and cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead – could also be Sesame Street’s mission statement. Since its premiere on November 10, 1969, Sesame Street has brought the fundamentals […]