It was Welcome Week my first year of college. The student orientation leader shared the “College Triangle” with the group of bug-eyed freshmen before leading us to a campus-sponsored comedy event. The “College Triangle” is a popular analogy used to prepare students for the sacrifices and decisions they will face when working to balance college […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Opinion: An Open Letter to Teachers of Color Dealing with Guilt while Working at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI)
Guest Writer: Jheanell Lumsden Dear Teacher of Color, You’re about to begin a new school year, and as a teacher of color, you know that our teaching experiences are vastly different from our white counterparts. Each academic year can feel like an even steeper uphill battle, and we may end up even more emotionally and […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Is More Technology Helping or Hurting Your Students?
I don’t know if I was truly prepared for the technology my new school district was bringing to the table. When I interviewed for my current school system, one of the questions I asked during my interview was, “What resources are available to students and teachers?” If you’ve ever taught in a Title 1 school, […]
Posted inSocial Studies
Why September 11, 2001 Needs To Be Mandated Curriculum
Many of my current sophomores were not alive on the day the world stopped turning. Most of my students are fifteen-years-old — these adolescents are the post-911 generation. They know no other reality than the war on terror. And yet, they know so little about the events of that tragic day. For example, when asked, […]
Posted inFeatured
Close Encounters of the Parent-Teacher Kind
“Hello, my name is Mr/s. _______________, and I’ll be your son/daughter’s teacher this year.” Those are usually the initial seeds of the parent-teacher relationship. It’s a blank slate, an empty canvas, an opportunity to start the school year on a positive note. The teacher gets to erase the memories of the “mean parents” of yesteryear […]
Posted inTeacherEdprenur
Opinion: Don’t Blindly Follow Edu-Celebrities
In each profession, there are people who rise to high visibility and prominence. There is an aspect of these people’s personalities and abilities that captivate others. The more people are captivated, the more they continue to rise…but should they? They say fake it until you make it, and some are still faking it, taking others […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Job Requirements are Changing. How Can Parents and Students Adapt?
I am currently job-hunting outside of education, and I have noticed an interesting trend: jobs requiring a high school diploma are also requiring skills that are not typically on the standard high school curriculum. If your school provides them at all, it is likely that they will end up as elective courses. This includes jobs […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
5 Tips for Navigating the International School Job Fair
Many teachers dream of leaving their home country to be an international teacher. It’s hard to blame them. The class sizes are often astronomically smaller, the pay is better (compared to the new country’s standard of living), and the benefits often include housing, airfare, more time off, and a chance to travel and learn a […]