Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! The three-year anniversary of the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic coincides with my birthday. I remember having a school potluck on that Friday, not knowing the very next day that we would be informed that we would not be […]
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 inCurrent Events in Education
You Don’t Have to Watch the Tyre Nichols Video, But Be Ready to Talk About It
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! “Ms. Lamons, did you hear?” My text messages and social media inboxes were flooded with the news of the release of the Tyre Nichols video. Almost ashamedly, I did not recognize his name. I did not know the backstory. […]
Posted inEquity
Moving Beyond Diversity to Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging: Lessons from a Sunday Sermon
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! Black teachers are leaving education at an alarming rate. What can we do to address this? Recently I gleaned some ideas from a Sunday Sermon at my church. Mary Stutts, Chief Global Health Equity and Inclusion Officer, author, and […]
Posted inMental Health
Teachers Need Trauma-Informed Practices Too
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! I have recently talked to students who have experienced more death in the last few months than anyone should experience in a lifetime. I have had more friends who have lost loved ones, including young children than I can […]
Posted inOpinion
Trevor Noah’s Farewell Speech Was an Ode to Black Women in Education
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 […]
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 […]