I am a bit of an eavesdropper. When I hear the word school uttered in a conversation near me, I perk up. Like a prairie dog popping out of its hole, my neck lengthens, and I turn my head towards the speaker.  My nosey nature concerning talk of education has led me to two observations:  A majority […]
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
Patriotism and Politics: “In God We Trust” in Public Schools
As the 2019-2020 school year commences, the calendar might as well read the year 1956–the year President Eisenhower included “one nation under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance and the national motto declared:Â “In God We Trust.” Although the futuristic year of 2020 is upon us, we continue to live in a time of anxiety […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher, High School, History
The Summer School Diaries
Six in the morning is early for any faculty meeting, especially on the Monday after the July 4th holiday, but I was told to report to the library in a large high school I have only driven past. Hired over the phone, I wonder what kind of Gong Show I am attending. Is my employment […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Fellow educators, do you care about other people’s children? How about migrant children?
Fellow educators, you have made a career centered around giving to children. You have worked diligently to become an expert in your curriculum, designing dynamic lessons while connecting to the whole child. You might even call the students on your rosters, “your kids.” With your compassion for other people’s children as a focus, I ask […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
Classroom Real Estate: Navigating Change
If schools are like homes, then the location of a teacher’s classroom is often considered prime real estate. However, I did not know how much my neighborhood mattered until faced with forced relocation. Next year, the large suburban high school where I have taught since 2003 will move from random to integrated, from scattered to […]
Posted inChild Development
The State of Sex Education in Alabama
In Alabama abstinence is the best form of birth control, except when it is not. Â Although the teenage pregnancy rate has dramatically decreased in the USA, Alabama remains a state where teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection are actually rising. Â [bctt tweet=”In Alabama abstinence is the best form of birth control, except when it […]
Posted inSocial Justice
The Teacher Wage Penalty
In 1991, I graduated at the top of my high school class. Â I could have majored in a myriad of topics. I chose the teaching profession. Â First in my nuclear family to graduate high school with a traditional diploma and one of the few in my extended family to pursue a college degree, I forged […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
For the love of God, let the students sleep…start school later!
There are many aspects adults can agree on about teenagers. The most crucial acknowledgment is that they are a tired group. The research, the data, and the science all confirm that sleep matters. Bottom line: we need to start schools later — no earlier than 8:30 am. The AMA, AAP, and the CDC agree with the benefits of […]