By Tina Starks, Instructional Coach and policy fellow with Teach Plus CA Just two weeks after the failed coup at the Capitol and added trauma on the souls of Black people, Inauguration Day 2021 symbolized the restoration of hope and possibilities for a different America than what we had experienced for the last four years. […]
Coronavirus
Posted inAdult Learning
Equity, Access, and Affirming Deaf Identity
Michele Lamons-Raiford is a hearing American Sign Language (ASL) teacher at Pinole Valley High School in the West Contra Costa Unified School District. She has been a High School teacher for the past nineteen years, as well as an Adjunct Instructor at Solano Community College for the past fourteen years. She has a BA and […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
The Virtual High School Teaching Experience: I Teach to Dots
Guest Writer: Leann Wnuk Ed.S. Leann is currently a high school Special Education teacher with over 10 years of experience in multiple states and grade levels. I have an Ed.S. in Special Education, an M.S. in Special Education, and a B.A. in Middle Grades Language Arts and Social Studies. I show up to the computer, […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
America’s Reckoning: How Will Teachers Go Into Their Classrooms Tomorrow?
“How do we teach kids about this tomorrow?” This seems to be the question every American social studies teacher is asking themselves this evening, clutching the notion of the American republic in their hands like a broken teacup. As America continues to be ripped in two from its seams to its soul, we have, over […]
Posted inResponsive Classroom
Flip That Frown Upside Down – Teaching Like a Stoic
A neighbor complains every time it snows. It doesn’t matter if it’s a feathery amount or a foot — to him, the impediment of snow is too much to handle. He hates the shoveling. He hates the noise of the snowblowers. He hates driving in it. He hates the cold. He hates teleworking. The list […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
2020: Reflections of an Educator Working Through a Pandemic
I’m writing this article as I sit in my living room, on the cusp of a new year, thinking about what it means to be moving into a new chapter, a new milestone, etc. However, I spent the better part of my morning scrolling social media and I saw several people reflecting on the highlights […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Weigh in on Cardona? Better to Weigh in on Connecticut
When President-Elect Biden announced his choice for a new secretary for education, a comment was left on the Educator’s Room blog: “Anyone from Connecticut want to weigh in?” Well, I am an educator in Connecticut, but I think weighing in on the nominee Miguel Cardona is premature. Cardona, the Connecticut Commissioner of Education, was appointed […]
Posted inClassroom Management
6 Tips For Teachers Surviving Starting Mid-Year During a Pandemic
Whether you are a new teacher graduating in December, coming back from maternity leave, or making a mid-year move, picking up a teaching position after the school year has begun is challenging. I personally took over a teaching position after the first quarter of a school year, following a parade of substitutes. The previous teacher […]