Michelle* was a beautiful girl with skin the color of onyx. She was smart and funny with a quick wit and an even quicker tongue. She was both fiery and feisty which meant I spent a lot of time coming to her rescue when she got into a bit of verbal sparring with a teacher. […]
Chantrisse Holliman
11 year educator, Teacher Trainer, Blogger, Speaker, Universe Disturber, Wife of Pastor, & Mom to the most amazing kid ever.
What Happens When the Teacher is the Bully?
As an educator, I am duty bound to ensure that all my students not only learn but are educated in an environment that is conducive to that learning. This means creating a space for creativity, critical thinking, and risk taking; a space where opinions are varied but respect is consistent; a space where students are […]
If A Rose Can Grow in Concrete, You Can Find A Flower in the Desert
(Shout out to Tupac for the quote) A few weeks ago, I found myself in yet another frustratingly familiar place. Sick. I hate being sick. Hate with a capital “H” for “Heck no I don’t have time to be at home in recovery. I have too much to do!” If you know me at all, […]
It Ain’t What They Call You. It’s What You Answer To
This year will mark my 20th year in the State of Georgia. I moved here in 1996 to teach at a small private school about an hour outside of Atlanta and the first thing that struck me was how different things were. See, I’m one of them Yankees, born in Ohio and raised in Massachusetts […]
Imposter Syndrome Among High School Students
For the sake of this article, we will call him Jarvis. Jarvis is a current junior at a math/science magnet high school in Georgia where he has the second-highest GPA in the entire building. Not his grade. The building. Out of 2,275 students, there is the only person who has a higher GPA than he […]
How to Survive the Last Semester of the School Year with Your Sanity Intact!
News Flash: The Winter Break is almost over. Yup. Just like that. We wait, and wait, AND WAIT all of first semester for two unadulterated weeks to experience a WHOLE lot of Netflix and chill only to remember that it was only temporary and we have been kicked to the curb yet again until the […]
Controversy: Addressing Challenging Topics in Your High School English Class
On August 9, 2014, Michael Brown, an unarmed Black teenager, was killed in the streets of Ferguson, MO. On August 11, just two days later, school was scheduled to begin. As I watched the story unfold over the weekend, I was met with an anger and frustration I had not experienced since Trayvon Martin was […]
High School Classroom Management 101: Building Relationships
Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships. Stephen Covey from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” […]