Happy 263rd Birthday Chief Justice John Marshall! On this day little fanfare and even less discussion will center on this national milestone. This is unfortunate, perhaps even a little bit tragic. For when Marshall passed away in 1835 the Liberty Bell was tolled for the last time—in commemorating the sad news the bell was forever […]
Posted inOpinion
Creating Dialogue: Teaching Conversation in the 21st Century Classroom
Like fingerprints, each student comes with their own unique perspective; and on top of that, their perspective will also be influenced by social, cultural and political practices. It is this diversity that makes our lives interesting. When we accept that these differences occur, it gives us the ability to learn, to develop our own ideas […]
Posted inLiteracy
3 Reasons to Burn Reading Logs
On Twitter recently, I came across a post by Nicholas Emmanuele about reading logs. He posted: I’ve seen the distaste for #reading logs recently. Can someone define them for me? Is it the reading duration? The regularity? The deadlines? The assignments attached to them? I’m genuinely curious what counts as a reading log and what […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Calling IN: A Strategy for White Teachers Who Want to Disrupt Racism
Last year I revisited James Baldwin’s “A Talk to Teachers” before starting the school year. I encouraged myself and other teachers committed to social justice to “go for broke.” I did lots of work I felt proud of in our classroom last year, working with our 5th graders to understand, analyze, and combat racism. They culminated […]
Posted inOpinion
Teacher Bashers: The Absolute Worst Human Beings on the Planet
“Those who can teach. Those who can’t make laws about teaching.”This is a motto that makes its rounds around social media whenever a politician or philanthropist develops a plan that will not only cure schools of all the social ills in society, but will finally get teachers to do “their job”. As teachers, we chuckle […]
Posted inTeacher Self Care
Social Media: Should You Friend and Follow Your Colleagues?
I’m 35 years old and I have seen social media evolve for better and for worse. Back in the day, my first social media accounts were My Space, Black Planet, and Facebook. I didn’t use My Space or Black Planet long, but Black Planet, a social networking site for black people, served its purpose because […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
180 Days: Writing and Reading Maps and Mentors for A Year in ELA
As an ELA teacher, I do a lot of reading. During the school year I try to read as much Young Adult Lit as possible so I can share it with my 8th graders, but during the summer I read more adult titles and I try to squeeze in at least one professional title. Last […]
Posted inInstructional Strategies
Teaching Your Way through Controversy: Responding to Kaepernick’s Stance
Even elementary students are talking about the Nike deciding to sponsor former Quarterback Colin Kaepernick. So, how do you respond as an educator and model of critical thinking? It’s no easy task when you are likely to hold a strong opinion of your own. Structured Academic Controversy (SAC) is an option when faced with the […]