Teachers, the Real Superheroes Growing up, I thought teachers were the coolest people in the world, and second only to my mom. In my mind, they were the real superheroes that the comic book authors forgot to write about. In fact, I admired teachers so much that I ended up going to college to study […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Self-Efficacy is the Link to Student Achievement
Every year, students cross into my classroom, and I spend a year educating them on the topics we are told to instruct. We spend time learning their names, their stories, and their lives. As the year progresses, we assist their education with interventions and different strategies for academic success, but how often are those […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Surviving The End of the Year: Dealing with the Pre-Summer Slump
I recently went on a local Instagram page and saw a post that commented on how long the last months of school are. When I saw it, I stopped scrolling for almost 10 minutes, re-reading the words, which led me to reflect on my journey this past month. May was a trek, but this year […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Why The Fight Against Critical Race Theory is Rooted In America History
The masses of teachers aren’t teaching Critical Race Theory. Roughly 80% of teachers in the United States are white – I can almost guarantee you that they’re not teaching Critical Race Theory. Many of them are uncomfortable teaching about enslavement, do you think they’d be comfortable, let alone knowledgeable, enough to teach Critical Race Theory? […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
What Teachers Can Learn from Naomi Osaka
Like seemingly everything else, issues surrounding the importance of mental health have been highlighted to an unprecedented level during this pandemic. Some might consider athletes, celebrities, and influencers an unlikely source for teachable moments, but the importance of those like Naomi Osaka is the perfect real-time, relatable, and relevant stories teachers should pay close attention […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Critical Race Theory: When the Texas GOP Tried to Stop Teachers From Teaching About Racism
Last week, I read a headline on Twitter that gave me pause – Texas GOP Passes Bill to Stop Teachers From Talking about Racism. This morning I learned that Gov. Abbott just needs to sign off on schools teaching or discussing CRT (Critical Race Theory). I will be the first to admit that I […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
The Price of Accessibility for Deaf/Hard of Hearing Students During a Pandemic
Tiffany Johnson-Dreher has worked as an Itinerant Deaf/Hard of Hearing Teacher for 20 years, primarily with caseloads in the K-12 setting. While school days involve visits to different buildings each day, the gifts are being with students of varying ages and often being with them over several years. She is passionate about her students, about diverse KidLit, and […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
A Millennial Librarian Wants to Change How We View the Library
Jessica Fitzpatrick is a high school librarian in Houston and is in her eighth year of education. She holds a Bachelor of Science in elementary education from the University of Houston and a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of North Texas. She is the 2020 TLA Branding Award Winner for Community […]