As we enter into a well-deserved summer, I applaud you. Thank you for a great school year of educating and caring for children who belong to someone else. We appreciate your sleepless nights, early mornings, and 30 min -1 hr commute every morning. Thank you for not calling in sick when you rightfully could have […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Columbine Shooting 20 Years Later – Our Children Are Still Dying
Columbine occurred when I was still in the classroom. My heart broke for those who lost their lives as well as those who survived and had to live with the trauma. I remember being asked by friends if I was going to school the next day. I didn’t hesitate to say yes. Most of them […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The Motivation Myth
Summer for teachers has arrived! While you may be imagining my days are spent lounging by the pool sipping cocktails (don’t get me wrong, I will make that happen eventually), the implication of summer break for me at this point means professional development. Summer professional development takes a variety of forms, from workshops to podcasts […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Unpopular Opinion: Hooded Sweatshirts in the Classroom
My mother was gifted a stuffed Ty bunny at a baby shower before I was even born. Bunny, as I eventually ingeniously named him, was my right-hand man. My partner in crime, my lullaby and my wake up call. When I was sick, Bunny played cards with me. When we went on family vacations, Bunny […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Not All Charter Schools Are The Same
Not all charter schools are evil, corporate, for-profit monstrosities. Again: not all charter schools are the same. Some modern charter schools are operated by for-profit corporations or non-profits who pay their leadership exorbitant salaries. Almost all the common arguments against charter schools are rooted in those corporate models. They are the loudest, but not the […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Whatever It Takes: Story of a Committed Black Teacher
“On me they wont.” That was his response when a student vulnerably shared how his peers would talk about this lack of a haircut. This is the story of Major Jones, an educator in Bibb County Schools who gave that student a free haircut. If you’re a teacher, you know the impact of this act […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
What Grieving is Teaching Me About Patriarchy
Heartbreak My heart was broken this week. I came into work early Wednesday morning to prepare for an instructional walkthrough that wouldn’t happen. As soon as I came into the building, my principal escorted me to a classroom filled with other staff and gave me the news that three of our students had died in […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
[FREE Download] June Teacher Self-Care Calendar
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