By Joshua Dean When I was in High School, I never questioned the curriculum much. I was too busy thinking about football or my high-school sweetheart. As a graduate student pursuing an MFA in Poetry, I read the Dreams Songs without causing a stir in class. Even when the professor mentioned that John Berryman wrote […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
At My Breaking Point: An Interview With An Educator Who Nearly Quit
At My Breaking Point: One Educator Reflects This year has pushed so many educators to their breaking points. One of the most passionate, creative, and loving teachers I know very nearly quit her job. She’s an English Language Arts and reading specialist at a Title 1 middle school in a rural, coastal town in Washington. […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
10 Ways to Teach Like Ted Lasso: Part II
“You know what the happiest animal in the world is?” asks Coach Ted Lasso, star of the eponymous comedy on Apple TV+ to one of his players down in the dumps. “It’s a goldfish. It’s got a 10-second memory. Be a goldfish.” This is just one of the many wit and wisdom combos served to viewers in […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Inhale Adversity, Exhale Hope: Reflections of a Black Educator
I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath until I heard the words. “Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.” I let out a slow and deliberate exhale, one full of relief for George Floyd’s family, his friends, and for the brave soul who captured the video of this public lynching. I continued to exhale for my family, […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
About Me, By Me Assignment: What Happened When My Students Spoke
Teachers: have you ever decided to do a lesson, and it just explodes into a different beast than you’re expecting? Have you ever steered away from the Common Core and done something to drag your students out of the everyday content sludge? As a Special Education teacher, my curriculum is written by me for my […]
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The Learning Loss Discussion is Misguided
“How are we going to navigate learning loss?” “What about the students who aren’t having their needs met?” “What are we going to do about next school year?” Learning loss is the term of the year. It seems like everywhere you turn on the internet there is a discussion about the impacts of the […]
Posted inEnglish Language Learners
The Purpose of the Passage in Teaching Writing
Alison Levine teaches Creative Writing at a public elementary school in Coconut Creek, Florida. She has been a gifted resource teacher, an elementary school classroom teacher and a middle school language arts teacher. She is passionate about reading current research on education and implementing new strategies in her classroom. Alison loves taking long walks and […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Elective Teachers Are Not Treated The Same…That Must Change
Not all teachers are equal, nor treated the same. This statement may seem extreme, but to thousands of elective teachers, it is their reality. Unfortunately, that has been my experience as a French teacher. My path towards teaching has been an uphill battle from the start. I as well as many other elective teachers have […]