In 1939, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was a big hit in theaters. The film is about a naive small-town guy who takes on corruption. The movie instantly became a classic and a part of the American zeitgeist. We’ve had many Mr. Smiths sent to Washington since then. Most, if not all, have claimed that […]
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
What Project 2025 Really Means for US Schools
“I know nothing about Project 2025. I have no idea who is behind it.” Those are the words from former president Donald Trump last month. Like so many other lies he tells, I didn’t personally believe him. For me, Donald Trump has made it clear where he stands on the notion of many things, like […]
Posted inBack to School
Tips for Setting Up Classrooms on a Budget
When you are new to a school site, the first question you often ask is: How am I going to teach in an environment that isn’t suitable for children? I asked a dozen teachers I know for tips about setting up their classrooms on a budget. Their advice, like finding a box of unused pencils […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
How to Run a Fantastic Back-to-School Night
Back to school night. It comes every year, and it comes fast. It’s often the first chance you have to meet parents, share your vision of the year with them, and to open up your class showcasing the miracles you perform on a daily basis. It’s also stressful as all get out. But it doesn’t […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Thank You, Joe Biden
I’ve been a teacher since Bill Clinton. In my first year, when kids didn’t speak up during a presentation I’d say, “Let’s use the same voice a president would use to give a speech.” Later, after the September 11th attacks, I’d tell my class how some things must be taken seriously, just like President Bush […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
The Ten Commandments For the Outside of My Classroom Door
Many people may not be aware that when a public school teacher is first hired, they swear an oath. This oath, like the oath of the presidency, like the oath of the Oklahoma State Superintendent, of the Louisiana Governor’s, like the oath of all who work for US government agencies, involves the duty to protect […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Six Ways to Retain Teacher Autonomy
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 […]
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 […]