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I’ve watched plenty of Marvel movies and read plenty of comics with my kids before we returned to school just a few weeks ago. As a teacher, it was great to feel like an Avenger as appreciative and supportive words from parents, school board members, and, most notably students countered the inane, ignorant comments we’ve gotten used to the past decade or so. Read more here...
As we continue to grapple with the changes that are impacting our communities, school reopening plans are at the forefront of most conversations. It is not hard to recognize that most everyone is flying by the seat of their pants as decisions are made and unmade with little notice… Read more here.
As schools across the country grapple with implementing online instruction, conversations about the future of education abound. So, it was no surprise when my buddy sent me this podcast: How To Test Out of College While You’re Still in High School. To read more, click here.
The dark circles under my eyes have returned. The fatigue is deep and familiar–it feels like January tired. And, today is only my third day of teaching in the hybrid model! My husband asked me how the first day went. I replied: “It was not my best opening day.” …Read more.
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How to Think Like Shakespeare: A Fun Educational Tool
As an English teacher, there are few things more contentious than teaching Shakespeare in high school classrooms. The idea that he is outdated, pointless, and just plain boring has plagued many of us. I disagree [...]
SPLC’s “Credit Overdue”: Why it Matters for Youth Offenders
The Southern Poverty Law Center recently released a report about the education challenges incarcerated youth face, called Credit Overdue. After exploring legislation, policies, and real-life experiences of youth in multiple states, the SPLC uncovered a [...]
Every Teacher Needs a Champion: Just Like Our Students
During my early childhood years, I went from the little girl who at first received check marks on her report card for talking too much to the little girl who must have a learning disability [...]
Remote Elementary Teaching Sucks. Get Over It and Prepare for Survival
This remote teaching thing sucks, but I realize it’s not about me. What am I going to do about it? I have no magic wand to wave to make COVID go away or to have [...]
Good Teaching Is Political…Or At Least It Should Be
Several weeks ago, President Trump announced his plans for a patriotic education commission, dubbed the 1776 Commission. He simultaneously criticized teachers for indoctrinating students and urged them to focus on America’s strengths; the president has [...]
Dear White Teachers, Black Students Matter
Dear White Teachers, Black Students Matter After George Floyd’s murder, I woke up to a string of messages from one of my Black students, M. She poured her heart out to me at three in [...]
10 Reasons Why American Reconstruction Is the Most Important Unit I’ll Teach This Year
When I first started teaching the second-half of American history, my colleagues and I fell in love with the curriculum. The Civil War, the World Wars, the industrialization and rise of America, and the jazz [...]
So, How Is [COVID] School Going?
I have fielded this question from family, friends, and neighbors. It is a simple question. I have been teaching social studies for over twenty-five years, so I should offer a concise answer. However, the question [...]
Top of the List: Attuning to Self-Care Needs of Educators
Written by Camica Edwards Another day at the office, I am consulting with my principal on a plan for student mental health and wellness as the junior high school counselor. I’m in his doorway scanning [...]
Accountability and Empathy: Where’s the Balance?
Accountability and Empathy: Where's the Balance? Pandemic Adjustments I went into this year knowing online learning would be tough. I zoomed in with my equity lens and kept it sharply focused, ready to make adjustments [...]
Zooming into the Abyss: The VANISHING AMERICAN STUDENT
The students have begun to disappear. In the beginning of the school year, when class began every day, I was greeted with a friendly mosaic of smiling teenage faces. This was the beginning of their [...]
Return to Panem:Teaching Possibilities with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
When the original Hunger Games series was released, with its conclusion published in 2010, I was busy teaching 8th grade English at a suburban/rural middle school in Tennessee. I immediately saw possibilities in the book [...]
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