Although I reside in upstate New York, my family from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has been visiting, so I appropriated y’all into my vernacular. (Please forgive my misuse of this enjoyable phrase.) For most teachers, July is the golden, sacred month that school does not touch. Many schools across the country end in May or June […]
Laura Brown
The more I teach, the more my compassion for students, parents, and teachers grows. Thank you for reading my thoughts.
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
“It’s Time To Make The Donuts:” Teaching in 2020-2021
In 1984, Dunkin Donuts released a commercial starring Fred the Baker. Fred becomes somewhat famous, and his one-liner resonated among workers who related to his daily grind-“it’s time to make the donuts.” As the 2020-2021 school year continues on an endless repeat, I have begun uttering: “It’s Time To Make The Donuts,” as I drag my […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Anniversaries are Testimony: One Year of Pandemic Teaching and Learning
One year.  Just one.  And yet, a year feels like a pivot point. So much sacrificed, rearranged.  Discussing the turning point battles of the second world war with my students had me analyzing the impact of specific dates. I informed my classes: ‘”My grandparents want you to know the importance of December 7, 1941. Your […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Nobody Trusts Teachers
Nobody trusts teachers. Imagine a snowy Wednesday morning in February–a scheduled remote teaching day and a day following an actual, old-school type of snow day.  [bctt tweet=”Now imagine teachers driving on those snow-covered roads to teach via Google Meets in empty classrooms.  ” username=””] Picture many of those same teachers scrambling for child care because the […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
How Did Students Feel About the Presidential Inauguration? “I Feel Safer Today, Mrs. Brown.”
I have incorporated every presidential inauguration (regardless of who is elected) into my social studies classroom: seven ceremonies and five distinct leaders throughout my tenure. The transfer of power witnessed by adolescents is truly civics education in action.  Every inauguration includes the usual pomp and circumstance, celebrity appearance, and political promises. Although we discussed Lady […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
How Do I Explain America To My Students Tomorrow?
January 6, 2021 Americans woke up on the morning of January 6, 2021, learning that Georgia elected its first African-American Senator–a historic event only to be overshadowed by thousands of Americans storming the Capitol building in the afternoon. On my commute home, my mother-in-law, a retired social studies teacher, texts me: “Protestors have invaded the […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Teachers: The Way Home Is Through Baghdad
That holiday break we recently finished was not a vacation. It was only a breath, a moment of pause in a pandemic. Sure, many of us rested but how many educators feel refreshed and ready to return? This piece is not about toxic positivity. No one has the patience for phrases like, “You got this!” or “We […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
My Students Are Getting Me Through This Pandemic
I walk up the stairs trying to find the new weight room, the location of our school’s “rapid” Covid-19 testing area. My nose swabbed by a woman donned in full personal protection equipment makes me think of a scene from a dystopian movie. As I exit, I see one of my students arrive with what […]