Gratitude Tour: Diane Haertel
As mentioned in my tribute to Bishop Joel Konzen, I learned of an English position at Marist School in Dunwoody, GA, in 1982, after teaching one year in the DeKalb…
Keep readingStudents Are Not Lazy. They Are Cognitively Exhausted
The Look Teachers Know By the middle of the school day, I can usually tell when a class has hit its limit. It is not always loud. It is not…
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Viral TikTok has students struggling to read basic sentences
A TikTok video titled “Can You Read,” where a student asked his peers if they could read simple sentences, has caused chaos at a Philadelphia Charter School and has reportedly…
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Establishing quality relationships with students
Recently, I took an informal survey of fellow instructors regarding their most memorable moments as a “student” in education. This would have been long before many considered a career in…
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Teacher Appreciation Deals for the week of May 4-8
This upcoming week of May 4-8 is Teacher Appreciation Week, with Teacher Appreciation Day being May 5th. According to the nonprofit TCEA, Teacher Appreciation Week originated in the early 1940s, when…
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Gratitude Tour: Chuck Roser
I visited Chuck Roser, his husband Tom, and their sweet rescue dog Patsy in their Pittsboro, NC, home on Friday, September 12, 2025. As a gesture of my gratitude, I…
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Learning Insights; A Nerdy Take on the Judgment of Learning
I am, unapologetically, a nerdy educator. I enjoy exploring research from other disciplines and examining its potential value in the classroom. I do so with skepticism. What holds up in…
Keep readingNational news
You are a Teacher; Not a Mum, Not a Savior: Teacher
As a full first-term teacher assistant, I was living the dream. I had built a class family that followed the rules, settled nicely, and spread love amongst each other so much so that we had become the envy of the other classes. I juggled many responsibilities and still found a way to show up in…
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Ronie L. Mataquel: Leading Through Service, Faith, and Innovation
“To lead is to serve—faith gives the courage to do both.” This guiding principle has shaped the remarkable career of Dr. Ronie L. Mataquel, a visionary educator, scholar, and community leader whose impact stretches from classrooms in Queens, New York, to Filipino communities worldwide, to being named a Top 50 Educator for The Educator’s Room.…
Keep readingInstructional Coaching That Actually Works
It all started in a classroom that looked like everything was going as planned. The students seemed to be engaged. The lesson was moving along. Nothing appeared to be off-track. But when the teacher and I sat down afterward, she paused and said, “I think they’re doing the work, but, honestly, I don’t think they…
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Turning Recess into a Cultural Celebration
This school year has unfolded during a time when conversations about diversity, immigration, and education seem to be everywhere, leaving a quiet uncertainty about belonging. Many parents and educators are wondering how to continue creating spaces where every child feels seen, safe and like they truly belong. At my children’s elementary school, an answer began…
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Gratitude Tour: Kelly Chung
“Aunty Mom” is what her students affectionately call her. My wife Merf and I called her Kelly throughout our high school days. Kelly is one of my wife’s best friends. That creative spelling of my wife’s nickname comes from Kelly. My correspondence with Kelly in the months after I saw her in Knoxville last summer…
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ALA Reports Surge in Book Challenges and Bans During National Library Week 2026
During National Library Week (April 19–25, 2026), the American Library Association (ALA) released new data highlighting a continued rise in attempts to censor books and library materials across the United States in 2025. According to ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), 4,235 unique titles were challenged in public, school, and academic libraries last year—the second-highest…
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Education Department Moves to Dissolve Office Supporting English Learners
The U.S. Department of Education is moving forward with plans to dissolve the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), a key federal office responsible for supporting…
Gratitude Tour: Carl and Nancy Frye
Carl Frye was one of the first colleagues I came to know well at Blue Ridge when I arrived in 1998. I wouldn’t coach until the winter, but,…
On the ethics of properly grading students
I wanted to take a break from my usual cynical storytelling — don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of that — and address a very serious concern: an ethical,…
The Transformational Vision of the Library
How many times did you visit your school library as a child? How often do you visit it now, as a teacher? For what purpose? If you ran…
Federal book ban bill advances, Drawing widespread opposition from the public
A controversial federal bill that would restrict access to certain materials in schools and libraries has advanced in the U.S. House, intensifying a national debate over censorship, student…
History, Curiosity, and a Classroom That Thinks: The Inspiring Work of Ryan Donovan
Some teachers assign history. Others bring it to life. For Ryan Donovan, an AP U.S. History teacher at Boulder Creek High School, the goal isn’t simply to help…