Yesterday, my fellow Indy K12 writer David McGuire Wrote, “Teacher Attendance Matters.” As a school principal, I know he is under pressure to ensure his students receive the best education. The heart of his piece was to emphasize how teacher absences can bring challenges to schools including student achievement. Teaching is one of the professions […]
Educator Barnes
Educator Barnes is a middle school dean and adjunct college professor. Previously, she served as an elementary library/media specialist, an elementary and high school literacy coach, a middle and high school English/Language Arts teacher, and a K-5 English as a New Language teacher. Shawnta is an education writer and editor for Indy K12, a publication under the Citizen Education network. She is also the winner of the 2019 Indiana Black Expo Excellence in Education Journalism Award.
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
It’s the Most Stressful Time of the Year- A Teacher’s Edition
It’s the most stressful time of the year With the kids tattle-telling And everyone yelling, “When will break be here?” It’s the most stressful time of the year. It’s the wack-wackiest season of all With those faux happy greetings and silly staff meetings When you have work to grade from fall It’s the wack-wackiest […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The 10 Car Rider Commandments
When I attended school, I don’t remember that many kids being dropped off in a car. Most students rode the bus or walked to school. Today, some parents arrive at school at least thirty minutes before school starts or ends to transport their children to and from school. So many schools are old and were […]
Posted inTeacher Self Care
Are You A Ticking Time Bomb in the Classroom?
In 14 days, $185, 471 has been raised by 7,760 people through Go Fund Me for 64-year-old music teacher Marston Riley who was arrested after punching and fighting a 14-year-old boy during class in Maywood, California. You don’t have to look far to come across story after story of teachers who are stressed out, fed […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
A Conversation with Dr. Jeff Butts, 2019 Indiana Superintendent of the Year
Superintendent Dr. Jeff Butts was recently named the 2019 Indiana Superintendent of the Year by the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents (IAPSS). He is the superintendent of the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township, a school district on the west side of Indianapolis. He will represent Indiana in the National Superintendent of the Year competition. […]
Posted inLiteracy
3 Reasons to Burn Reading Logs
On Twitter recently, I came across a post by Nicholas Emmanuele about reading logs. He posted: I’ve seen the distaste for #reading logs recently. Can someone define them for me? Is it the reading duration? The regularity? The deadlines? The assignments attached to them? I’m genuinely curious what counts as a reading log and what […]
Posted inTeacher Self Care
Social Media: Should You Friend and Follow Your Colleagues?
I’m 35 years old and I have seen social media evolve for better and for worse. Back in the day, my first social media accounts were My Space, Black Planet, and Facebook. I didn’t use My Space or Black Planet long, but Black Planet, a social networking site for black people, served its purpose because […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
What Teachers Get Versus What They Need
I love being a teacher. I know it is my calling. It can be frustrating when you know what you need to be a successful teacher, but you receive something else. Here are a few things teachers get, versus what they really need. What teachers get: No professional development choice What teachers need: Self-selected professional […]