America and the World Today It has been a difficult week for America and the world. American leadership in the world seems to be collapsing as nations considered to be our allies are criticized and nations thought to be adversarial are applauded as friends. The old world order established after World War II where the […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
If You Want to Survive, Find Your Teacher Tribe
When you watch movies about high school, everyone falls into a group or has a label. Me, I was the blerd (black nerd) and the loner. I had a few friends and that was by choice, and most often I preferred to keep to myself and be alone. I maintained this behavior throughout college and […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
Equity in Action: Mitigating Unconscious Bias In the Classroom
In this heightened political atmosphere, our society seems to be replete with instances where white people are being caught on social media being or acting in an overtly racist manner. It seems our Facebook or Twitter feeds will have on a daily basis some video of a white person treating an African-American, Hispanic, or member […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
This teacher says, “Your momma needs to talk to me not through you.”
There is a picture of five-year-old Cardi B, with her hand on her hip, that has been turned into what I will call “my momma said” memes. I have to admit I found them funny until I came across one that said: Teacher: “There are no hall passes so you can’t go to the bathroom.” Me: […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
A Very Teacher Summer
Summer is here! Everyone breathes a sigh of relief because now the weather is going to be nice at least most of the time, and there are fun things to do like camping, swimming, and hiking. As a teacher, I am excited about summer for a different reason. It’s time to revise my lesson plans […]
Posted inParents
Fighting for Parental Leave as a Teacher
At sixteen, I decided that I wanted to become a high school teacher, and one of my main reasons to pursue this endeavor was because I believed teaching is a mother-friendly career. I’d be at work while the kids were in school; I’d be able to make their early evening activities’ events; I’d be at […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
Affirmative Action at the Crossroads: Which Direction will the Supreme Court Go?
Affirmative Action: Remedy or Racist? Recent actions by the Trump Administration and the pending resignation of Anthony Kennedy from the Supreme Court have brought into question the status of affirmative action, the set of federal policies instituted by John F. Kennedy to counteract centuries of discrimination against specific minorities in American society. Affirmative action was […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
I Love Teaching Summer School or Am I a Glutton for Punishment?
I tell myself that I love teaching, in theory, I get summers “off”! But I realized recently that I have not taken a summer off in over 12 years! Some may ask why have I consistently worked during the summer? To be honest, the money is pretty good, since it’s my hourly wage without being […]