Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! I was on a Black Writers’ Zoom with three other Black female educators recently. We were reflecting on the impact of Trevor Noah’s farewell speech. In Trevor Noah’s farewell speech on his final episode of The Daily Show, he offered […]
Michele Lamons-Raiford
Michele Lamons-Raiford is a hearing American Sign Language (ASL) and English teacher at Pinole Valley High School in the West Contra Costa Unified School District. She has been a High School teacher for the past twenty years, as well as an Adjunct Instructor at Solano Community College for the past fifteen years. She has a BA and MA in English from Cal State University Sacramento, and teaching credentials in English and ASL from Cal State University East Bay. She is a devoted wife, a mother of a beautiful Neurodiverse Son, and a lifelong Advocate for ASL, Deaf Culture, Students with Special Needs, Culturally Relevant, Culturally Affirming, Anti-Racist School Cultures, Climates, and Diversity in Educational Institutions and Organizations.
Posted inOpinion
Our Son’s Paraprofessional Changed Our Lives. Paraprofessionals Deserve Higher Pay.
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! A few days into this school year, I received a text from my husband. It was short, simple, and straight to the point: “It’s amazing the difference a qualified and responsible one-on-one aide makes in the lives of a […]
Posted inMental Health
Use 3 I’s to Rediscover Your Purpose for Teaching
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! Recent conversations with veteran and new teachers alike have raised more than a few questions about why we choose to stay in the teaching profession. New teachers feel lost, and veterans feel overlooked. So, to all of my teacher […]
Posted inSocial Justice
Racial Equity Work That Actually Works: Lessons from Dr. Lori Watson
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! I’ve experienced many racial equity trainings for teachers over the past two decades that were intended to transform my school’s culture. Recently, my school began working with Dr. Lori Watson, and it made me rethink what’s possible. What Hasn’t […]
Posted inOpinion
Mythical, Fictional, Make-Believe…as Long as They Ain’t Black
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! As a Black teacher who advocates for the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, the heated debate about a Black Mermaid has piqued my interest on many levels. I recently discussed the issue with members of my African American Student Union […]
Posted inOpinion
Should We “Flatten” Education?
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! “The system of education is broken.” I hear this same statement over and over again, but I want to know what it will take to fix it. Thankfully, some have realized that we must get past blaming the elephant […]
Posted inInterviews
Voices from the 2%
An Interview with Black Male Math Teacher Jason Lee Morgan Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! Nationally, only two percent of America’s teachers are Black men. Veteran Philadelphia Educator and Director Shariff El-Mekkii established the Center for Black Educator Development to “dramatically change the face […]
Posted inOpinion
Educators Need Safe Spaces Too
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! “Thank you for helping me feel seen.” As educators who advocate for equity in education, some of us might expect this statement from a student. So would it surprise you that this was from a teacher? I recently returned […]