Classic educational literature like The Power of Our Words by Paula Denton reveal why a teacher’s lingo is so important. Our speech, when it is respectful and purposeful, shapes classroom culture, accelerates learning, and it motivates students to give us their best. And in my many years of teaching, I have learned that this speech […]
Thomas Courtney
Thomas Courtney is a 6th-grade middle school English Language Arts and History teacher in San Diego, California. He is the author of many articles, memoirs, and short stories found in anthologies, magazines, and newspapers. He has written several books, including the upcoming Viral School Rhetoric: A Teacher’s Story of Good Intentions, Bad Policy, and a Pandemic, available in the Fall of 2025.
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Dystopian Teacher Tales: 12 Visions of An American Education, Dismantled
We sat down with TER author, and Title 1 public school teacher Thomas Courtney to talk to him about his latest book. Mr. Courtney is a 30 year classroom veteran, guide teacher, and five time teacher of the year in San Diego, California. He has served on many committees and championed major initiatives from the […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines
Why The California Teacher Credentialing Conversation Matters to All US Neighborhoods
You may have heard recently that there is a teacher shortage. You may also have heard that this shortage is leading some states and their districts to take drastic measures to fill classrooms. This in turn is prompting many district and state agencies to reconsider their qualifications for teacher credentialing. For example, some districts are […]
Posted inMiddle School
How and Why to Run a Dungeons and Dragons Club at Your Middle or High School
When my son turned 12, he joined my monthly Dungeons and Dragons game with friends. Picking up his dice for his first attack roll, I could see him deducing his chances of hitting the gigantic frog that was trying to devour his character whole. “I’ve got less than a 25% chance to hit it though,” he […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Dystopian Teacher Tales #7: The educational advocate and her clients
In this scenario, Donald Trump has been elected to a third term, which is something he’s often mentioned during the first portion of his second term. With the complete closure of the federal DOE, something that both Trump and Secretary McMahon have noted as a priority, many Title protections have been returned to states. Similar […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Around the World in 80 Lessons: Warnings in Genocide to the US from Armenia
This summer, I was invited to study at the Genocide Museum in Yerevan, Armenia as a teacher fellow with the Genocide Education Project. I walked the museum with Regina Galustyan, the museum’s biographer and researcher. I sat in on lectures from professors like Dr. Dikran Kaligian and visited cultural sites and monasteries. I watched Armenian […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
I’d Like to Report Some DEI
The following is my DEI report to the Department of Education: There’s now a webpage on the US Department of Education’s website asking for folks to report cases of DEI. Some folks are looking to embrace these anti-DEI measures. A recent oped in my area even asked teachers to help Trump dismantle DEI measures in […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Teaching 102: Avoid Recess Issues? Go Play!
It’s a Friday, and you’ve got a terrific math lesson planned. All you need to do is move your group of math geniuses from where they line up after recess back to your classroom. But as you have been dreading, there’s another argument between two young men on the playground. What if someone hadn’t “started […]