Two federal judges, on Thursday, from both New Hampshire and Maryland blocked Trump administration directives that threatened to cut federal funding from public schools implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. US District Judge Landya McCafferty from New Hampshire sharply criticized and partially blocked a Trump administration policy that threatened to cut federal funding from […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Seeing Them Clearly: What my students taught me about stereotypes
Educators don’t always have the luxury of complete control of the curriculum or class size. What we do have is the power to check if stereotyping students is a silent danger that could impact how we teach and what students learn. We, ourselves, are just as likely to be stereotyped by the students who may […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Kindergarten nearly broke me: Classroom chaos to virtual success
On my first day in a classroom full of kindergarteners, I stood before them in the most adorable flats designed to look like pencils. On the board, I had the most perfectly crafted calendar full of rainbows and polka dots. My heart and face were full of hope and joy for the year ahead. A […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Dystopian Teacher Tales: Cool swag at the school fair!
The following story is fictional, set in a third Trump term. The President has recently alluded to the idea of seeking a third term, and as imagined in this story, that could lead to deep-rooted changes for children in schools. In the story, a single mother and her son Jamaal struggle with finding a proper […]
Posted inSpecial Education
Words Matter: A teacher’s response to Robert F. Kennedy’s statement on autism
Words matter. We often learn this simple but important concept before we enter preschool or kindergarten. For some reason, many people with large platforms often seem to forget this principle. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a prime example of individuals who have forgotten the power and potential harm that words […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The quietest voices, the strongest lessons: How a field trip changed my quietest student
My classroom is full of treasures. Pictures from years past, drawings from students who wanted to leave me with a piece of their creativity, and a big red button labeled Do Not Push – because, let’s be honest, I had to know which kid was willing to risk it all. But the most important thing […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Swipe—Tap— Send: Why Students Write the Way They Live
Exhibit A: did i miss anything yesturday i was absent n why did u give me a 0 for my hw fri No greeting.No punctuation.No subject—or worse, the whole email crammed in the subject line. And it hits your inbox at 7:03am.On a Tuesday.Before your coffee. Not only are you decoding the spelling, you’re trying […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
AI: The New 3 Rs Reading, Writing, and Robots
Education never stands still. As an undergraduate, this constant evolution both frightened and fascinated me, especially when one of my professors challenged us to research current slang terms. Standing in front of my peers, delivering an earnest presentation on the words “basic” and “on fleek,” I initially felt ridiculous. Yet even then, I understood the […]