In the last post, we examined the role of rhetoric in our modern classrooms, and we discussed how to both detect it and filter it into categories that you can live with or live without. Once you become more adept at detecting rhetoric and categorizing it, you may be concerned about how it affects your […]
Thomas Courtney
Thomas Courtney is a senior policy fellow with Teach Plus, a member of Edsource's Advisory Committee, and author of many articles on educational curriculum and policy. He is also a fifth-grade teacher, guide teacher, and father of a child at a Title 1 school in southeast San Diego.
Posted inAsk a Teacher, Instruction & Curriculum
Teaching 102: How to detect and categorize educational rhetoric
In this series of posts, veteran teacher, guide teacher and induction mentor Thomas Courtney bridges the other gap that we don’t talk enough about. That gap, the difference between what we are trained to do in our credential program, what we are asked to do by our employer, what the families and students we serve […]
Posted inFeatured
Teachers, The Ted Lassos of the Educational World
Warning: Spoiler alert to Ted Lasso Season 1-3! A friend recently recommended that I watch Ted Lasso. For those not in the know, it’s a show about an American coach who takes over an English football club. Despite what at times seems like the entire world against him, Ted Lasso keeps positive and as he […]
Posted inBack to School
5 Important Things To Tell Your Entire Class From Day One
“Just don’t smile until Christmas,” a more veteran colleague once advised me at the start of the school year. It never struck me as particularly wise when teaching a class of students. Having had 23 classes of students since then, I’ve learned a lot about what to do and what not to do long before […]
Posted inClassroom Management
Change Your Classroom Culture From Day One: Give It A Name
“After all, we are the Legendary Thunder Hawks,” says Joan. “So you know our presentations for Black History Month are going to be legendary.” And that’s when I smile from ear to ear. For the last 15 years, my class has selected their own name. The Noble Lions survived Covid-they were fearless and encouraging at […]
Posted inOpinion
Opinion: While Zuckerberg and Musk Battle, Educators Should Be Wary of Their Advertisement
Zuckerberg and Musk are battling over rival social media platforms right now, and let me say right away that I’m not much of a fan of either. While Musk seemed content to sell us Teslas simply, he’s now in the business of Twitter. Zuckerberg, on the other hand, has been attempting to market share his […]
Posted inInterviews
An Idaho teen who won his school board election has a message for educators
The Educator’s Room Interviews Shiva Rajbhandari Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! Less than a decade ago, the idea of students serving on school boards was the topic of debate in places like the Atlantic. Jacoba Urist, writing for the Atlantic in 2014, suggested that even […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
A 6-year-old Shot His Teacher: Can We Stop the Broken Record of School Shootings?
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! A 6-year-old shot his teacher? A 6-year-old shot his teacher. Since Friday I have been repeating this over and over in my head, like the broken record of phrases I use to redirect students back to important tasks. At […]