On January 20th or Inauguration Day, Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet, a young black woman stood in front of the United States and blew us away with her moving words, and her beautiful delivery. As an educator, a young black woman, and an immigrant, I felt invigorated by her words. One line, in particular, […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Maryland’s Governor Bullies Teachers, But This One Isn’t Lying Down
Like many states around the country, Maryland has struggled with the decisions about how and when to reopen schools. Last Thursday, January 21st, Maryland’s Governor Larry Hogan made clear that schools in Maryland would reopen by March 1st. Like a playground bully, Hogan threatened anyone seeking to resist his orders. He implied a willingness to […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
The Teacher Learns the Lesson: Reminiscing on 48 Years of Teaching
Every future teacher has a lot to learn in college, but as I would soon find out after my college graduation day, nothing beats the “on the job training” you get when you go through that first year of teaching. I was so excited when I received my first teaching job in Florida back […]
Posted inHistory
We’re Just People Who Don’t Want To Be Killed! A Student Reflection About Insurrection
By Tina Starks, Instructional Coach and policy fellow with Teach Plus, CA A piece of our worth was stolen today. It’s January 6, 2021, and a mob brandishing the flag of the Confederacy as well as the campaign flags of the outgoing President stormed into the Senate Chamber. The trauma of seeing a respectful treatment […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
The Virtual High School Teaching Experience: I Teach to Dots
Guest Writer: Leann Wnuk Ed.S. Leann is currently a high school Special Education teacher with over 10 years of experience in multiple states and grade levels. I have an Ed.S. in Special Education, an M.S. in Special Education, and a B.A. in Middle Grades Language Arts and Social Studies. I show up to the computer, […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
How Did Students Feel About the Presidential Inauguration? “I Feel Safer Today, Mrs. Brown.”
I have incorporated every presidential inauguration (regardless of who is elected) into my social studies classroom: seven ceremonies and five distinct leaders throughout my tenure. The transfer of power witnessed by adolescents is truly civics education in action. Every inauguration includes the usual pomp and circumstance, celebrity appearance, and political promises. Although we discussed Lady […]
Posted inCOVID-19
Mrs. Kramer’s 1970’s Childhood Challenge
Guest Writer: Kristina Kramer After 30 years of teaching and 14 years of being a parent, it wasn’t the books, the courses, or the counseling that would so clearly encapsulate the purpose of my job as an educator and mom. It would be a 30-second video clip of a 10-year-old boy on a bike that […]
Posted inCOVID
What Would Be Worth A Staff Professional Development Day? Vaccinations for Texas’ Teachers
Texas’ prioritization plan excludes front-line essential workers from the next tranche of shots, including the state’s nearly 2 million food and agricultural workers, according to the Feeding the Economy trade group. Teachers and school staff, police officers, manufacturing workers, U.S. Postal Service employees, and public transit workers are also among those who are prioritized under […]