A recent Friday was my 1,379th day of teaching. And it was a day that reminded me what it means to be a teacher. On Friday I used my heart so fully, and this to me is the essence of being a teacher. Friday morning I went to City College for their annual Poetry Festival. […]
Ruben Abrahams Brosbe
Ruben Brosbe is a former elementary school teacher. He currently facilitates professional learning for Teaching Lab, Ramopo for Children, and the Center for Racial Justice in Educaton. He is passionate about social justice oriented project based learning, and finds that young people make the best activists. He is a co-founder of Teach Resistance, an online community for social justice and anti-bias elementary educators. He is also the founder and host of Teachable Moments, a live storytelling event featuring stories by former and current educators.
Posted inElementary School
Don’t Fear Conflict in Your Classroom
I’m in my eighth year of teaching, and I’m still constantly realizing new things about teaching. Most recently, I realized that I was afraid of conflict in my classroom. Since I started teaching, it’s been drilled into my head that the first and foremost marker of a successful teacher is strong classroom management. Classroom management can […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Trump’s First 100 Days in My Classroom
When I reflect on Donald Trump’s first 100 days I think back to May of 2016. At the time I wrote that teachers had a moral obligation to stand up to Donald Trump’s hate speech. I did not write this as a Democrat or because of any other partisan or political affiliations. I wrote this […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Teaching Empathy with Concrete Examples
“They just want to sleep in their own bed” The first 50-plus days of Donald Trump’s presidency have provoked an intense mixture of anxiety, fear, anger, and urgency for many Americans. As the great-grandson of immigrants who fled anti-Semitic pogroms in Eastern Europe, it’s heartbreaking to see our president close the country’s doors to refugees and […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
What Will it Take for White Teachers to #TalkAboutTrayvon?
Image from Flckr user @dignidadrebelde I received an e-mail today from Showing Up for Racial Justice reminding me that today is the 5th anniversary of Trayvon Martin’s death. It is hard to believe five years have passed already. It is sobering to reflect on the growth of the Movement for Black Lives alongside the growing […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Considering the Case for Betsy DeVos
I am not a fan of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. I wasn’t fond of Arne Duncan either. And after working under John King when he led New York’s schools I didn’t cheer for his appointment. But Betsy DeVos represents a different challenge to public school teachers, students, and families. I shared feelings of anger, fear, […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Teaching Survival Skills for Dystopia: Love
In the wake of Donald Trump’s election, it has become increasingly clear that we are entering an abnormal era of American history. The xenophobia, religious intolerance, and white supremacy, aren’t new to life in America. But, Donald Trump’s presidency has made many of us feel that the “moral arc of the universe” is bending away from […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Skills for Survival in Dystopia Part 2: Media Literacy
In the wake of Donald Trump’s election, it has become increasingly clear that we are entering an abnormal era of American history. The xenophobia, religious intolerance, and white supremacy, aren’t new to life in America. But, Donald Trump’s presidency has made many of us feel that the “moral arc of the universe” is bending away from […]