To pack now or to pack later? To pack fast or to pack better? Packing up your classroom is a highly personal choice. I believe it is a choice that should be made with care. [bctt tweet=”Packing up your classroom is a highly personal choice.” username=”EducatorsRoom”] Here are some things that can influence your choice: […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The Post’s ‘America’s Most Challenging High Schools’ List Is Deeply Troubling
As a College Counselor, a certain part of my world is dictated by ratings. I have parents and students who speak with me all the time asking about colleges that they have heard of because they may only appear in some ranking list. The most popular of the lists that I hear about is U.S. […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
The State of STEM in U.S. Schools
I just got back from an exciting conference about the state of STEM in U.S. schools, sponsored by U.S. News and World Report! As an AVID teacher and coordinator, I was invited to San Diego to learn more about how to include STEM into AVID’s college and career readiness program. STEM is an acronym representing […]
Posted inInstructional Strategies
Why Teachers Should Add Debate to Their Curriculum
At the end of the school year this year, I looked at the list of causes of the Civil War. I’ve taught this once or twice, usually with just enough time to explain them. However, this year I finally got my curriculum in check and had time to ensure these topics were taught right. So […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Middle School, Opinion, Parents
Teacher Awards Student “Most Likely to Become A Terrorist”
Like many students at the end of the school term, Lizeth Villanueva brought home a superlative from one of her teachers. However, when her mom further examined the award, CNN reports, she saw that it said “MOST LIKELY TO BECOME A TERRORIST.” Seriously. Villanueva, a 13-year-old 7th-grade student at Lance Cpl. Anthony Aguirre Junior High […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
A Day in the Heart of a Teacher
A recent Friday was my 1,379th day of teaching. And it was a day that reminded me what it means to be a teacher. On Friday I used my heart so fully, and this to me is the essence of being a teacher. Friday morning I went to City College for their annual Poetry Festival. […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Teaching the Environment in the Social Studies and Humanities (and Everywhere Else)
When we get close to the end of the year I like to leave my students with a bit of reflection for the future. In a matter-of-fact and “non-preachy” way, I tell them that the most crucial issue that their generation will inherit is the environment. In fact, despite what students hear from many political […]
Posted inSocial Studies
6 Tips on Teaching Social Studies in a Politically-Charged Era
I’ve been challenged by parents plenty of times in my career. However, one that often protrudes in my mind is a 12-page email I received 7 years ago. In teaching about the post-Civil War Reconstruction, I shared both the late Abraham Lincoln and Radical Republican plans for what the South would look like as the […]