The Resurgence of the Pledge In the past, my school has been inconsistent about saying the pledge of allegiance. We’ve had it as a part of our video announcements with limited fidelity, and definitely not daily. I have only hazy memories of saying it as a student, perhaps on occasion in elementary school. This year, […]
Emma-Kate Schaake
Emma-Kate Schaake is a National Board Certified English teacher and librarian in Washington state. She's passionate about teacher leadership, equity, diverse books, social justice, hiking, and Taylor Swift lyrics. She writes about her ongoing journey to unlearn myopic history, act as an advocate for her students, and think critically about her role as an educator. Follow her on Instagram @hiketothelibrary
Posted inBack to School
Why Every School Needs An Equity Team
Yep, Teaching is Still Political As we get ready to start the year, the political tension of equity work is once again front and center. While Critical Race Theory is not banned in our state, the collective community temperature is boiling. In just the past few weeks, our district has experienced: A hiring and firing […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
To Mask Or Not To Mask? Wear the Mask; Protect our Kids
Since nearly the beginning of this pandemic, the very idea of masks has been politicized. A study, Politicizing the Mask analyzed demographic and voting data to confirm what many of us could conclude anecdotally. States and areas that supported Trump are significantly less likely to wear a mask. We can now see this playing out […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Fire the Canon: Curriculum is the Vehicle, Not the Destination
Fire the Canon: Curriculum is the Vehicle, Not the Destination It feels like every year around this time, the English department has a serious discussion about the curriculum. We start with valid PLC questions about key skills and standards at each grade level, but quickly devolve into how we taught specific canonical books and the […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
At My Breaking Point: An Interview With An Educator Who Nearly Quit
At My Breaking Point: One Educator Reflects This year has pushed so many educators to their breaking points. One of the most passionate, creative, and loving teachers I know very nearly quit her job. She’s an English Language Arts and reading specialist at a Title 1 middle school in a rural, coastal town in Washington. […]
Posted inHigh School
Pronouns: The Least We Can Do for Students Who Identify As Transgender or Non-Binary
Discomfort For Solidarity In a recent staff equity meeting, the concept of staff responsibility in gender pronouns came up. It seemed that everyone there had at least one student who used pronouns that didn’t necessarily align with the sex they were assigned at birth. And, they all fully supported the importance of honoring student’s pronouns […]
Posted inCOVID-19
Opinion: The Teacher Stories We Tell Ourselves: Let’s Assume the Best
We (yep, all of us) are stressed. Students are swamped with work and desperate loneliness. Parents are at their wits’ end trying to keep their jobs, kids, and sanity afloat. Teachers are exhausted from the literal and emotional headache of online learning. Administrators are trying to balance the needs of their staff and students […]
Posted inSocial Justice
Teachers, If You Can’t Tell the Truth, You Might Need a Different Job
What Is “Too Political,” Anyway? There has always been a political line in the classroom, though its definition is becoming increasingly obscure. In 2008, I remember asking my teacher who they voted for, and they demurred, saying it wasn’t their place to say. That’s what I thought teachers were supposed to do. And in some […]