An Interview With Art Teacher, Jan Barzottini Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! As arts programs continue to be cut across K-12 schools, I am reflecting on the importance of arts in education. In “Arts Integration in School: 10 Reasons Why It’s Important,” Sandra Larson […]
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
An Educator Mom’s Perspective On Mother’s Day
As teachers who are also mothers, our roles are often even more than the “dual roles” of teacher and parent. It is difficult for most teachers with kids to strike the right balance, but when we think about the many roles mothers play, it is even more of a struggle to maintain a work-life balance. […]
Posted inOpinion
What Trevor Noah Can Teach America About Teachers
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! Like many teachers, I have had to take a long, hard look at whether or not I had the capacity to stay in education. The past few years have tested my dedication to education more than any in my […]
Posted inPedagogy
How to Support Parents and Educators of Autistic Students
I remember the first student I taught who had been diagnosed with autism very well. “Ms. Lamons, you need to fix the date on the board.” “Ms. Lamons, I need to know what we are doing today.” “Ms. Lamons, I finished my work. Now, what do I do?” John had what some described as a […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
Lessons for Education From a Sunday Sermon
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! More and more, I am connecting lessons I have learned from Sunday sermons to lessons I am learning about education. Whether it is a message from my senior Pastor Ricky L. Nutt, or from his son, my dear friend […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
I’m a Black Woman in Education. I Know Exactly How Ketanji Brown Jackson is Feeling.
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! I remember having my qualifications questioned, dissected and scrutinized. I remember having to pause, take a mental step back and gather my thoughts before responding to an attempt to get me to fulfill the stereotype of an “Angry Black […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines
Teachers, Embrace Your Worth
When this pandemic hit, the closing of schools sent a ripple across America. Parents got a glimpse of what life might be like as a teacher. Amplify that feeling by a factor thirty to forty to equal teaching in a classroom, and they might begin to understand why it is so important to show teachers […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
What Teachers Can Learn from the Story of King David from the Bible
He was sitting in the last seat in the back of the class, hood over his head, barely visible, hiding an emotionless face, slouched over, clearly worn clothing and shoes, with a tattered backpack, doodling in a sketchbook that ironically looked brand new.