I recently went on a local Instagram page and saw a post that commented on how long the last months of school are. When I saw it, I stopped scrolling for almost 10 minutes, re-reading the words, which led me to reflect on my journey this past month. May was a trek, but this year […]
Jheanell Lumsden
Jheanell Lumsden is a young, black educator who hails from Jamaica but is currently working in Toronto, Canada. She is dedicated to ensuring her curriculum is diverse and reflective of stories from all over the world and from groups that are typically left out from English curriculum. Furthermore, she works to create a revolutionary classroom in which her students are critically thinking about the world and seeking to enact real change.
I’m an Educator in Canada and I want the COVID-19 Vaccine
I’m sitting in my office at home, after a day of teaching online, and I just tried to book my vaccine appointment, only to realize that since I don’t live in a hotspot, I’m not eligible. However, I want the vaccine. I have wanted it for months, and I knew that as soon as they […]
Teaching Black History for One Month a Year is not Enough
As February comes to a close, another Black History Month ends. No doubt, educators around North America and the world hopefully spent this month intentionally highlighting Black people and their achievements, and their contributions to our societies. Growing up in Jamaica, I hadn’t really had much experience with Black History Month (apart from seeing the […]
How Amanda Gorman’s Poetry Inspired my Lesson
On January 20th or Inauguration Day, Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet, a young black woman stood in front of the United States and blew us away with her moving words, and her beautiful delivery. As an educator, a young black woman, and an immigrant, I felt invigorated by her words. One line, in particular, […]
2020: Reflections of an Educator Working Through a Pandemic
I’m writing this article as I sit in my living room, on the cusp of a new year, thinking about what it means to be moving into a new chapter, a new milestone, etc. However, I spent the better part of my morning scrolling social media and I saw several people reflecting on the highlights […]
Compassionate Teaching is Key Especially During This Pandemic
Over the past few months, I’ve been noticing tweets from users about their teachers and their online class experiences. These two stood out to me in particular: teachers be like "i know these are troubling times" then be the trouble during the times — Jeffery Perkins (@JefferyxBball) November 29, 2020 A student just wrote “My […]
Check on your Immigrant Teacher Friends, We’re Not Ok!
A question that I’m asked every morning by colleagues almost instinctively is “how you doing?” and without giving the question much thought, I always respond with “I’m good!” I know this is a superficial response but that question is a loaded one, and as teachers, we know that we’re all struggling right now. It is […]
I’m a Teacher and I’m Counting down the Days until my School Shuts Down
I want to start this article with a confession: I’m counting down the days till when my school finally shuts down. No seriously, every morning as I sit at my desk in my classroom, I immediately check off another day on my calendar signifying another day that has passed in which I’ve physically been teaching […]