There are lots of things within the context of teaching that teachers will have a variety of opinions on. High-stakes testing is certainly a unifier for many of us. Here are four things that every teacher knows about testing that stakeholders and lawmakers should have listened to pre-pandemic to prevent some of the stress and […]
COVID-19
Posted inCOVID-19
We Have Adapted: We Are Home
Ilan Weissman is a nonbinary multimedia artist, educational reformer, teacher, and TGNB (Transgender & Nonbinary) child advocate. For 19 years, Ilan has been a teacher at the Ella Baker School, a progressive school in Manhattan. She is a classically trained musician, a creative technologist, and presently a semifinalist, in the running for the FLAG Award for […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
Opinion: Prepare for the Mass Teacher Exodus in Georgia and Around the Country
What a year it has been. Last week made one full year since schools across the country moved to remote learning. As of a month ago, there were half a million lives lost in the nation due to COVID-19. There are many countless Facebook arguments about whether students should be in school. Parents are making […]
Posted inCOVID
What Are Your Qualifications to Be an Educator ?
Well, the time has come for me to emerge from my Hobbit hole and embrace a new adventure come this fall, so I have begun the arduous process of writing resumes, and answering job applications as I move back into the classroom. One such question presented a “what if” scenario that has had me thinking […]
Posted inFeatured
Black Square Boxes: Affirming the Identity of Students During a Pandemic
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, previously teaching all levels of English, as well as an Adjunct English Instructor at Solano Community College for the past […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
Abusing Teachers is Normal: Normal is the Problem
“When we get back to normal” is the attitude helping people see through the difficulty that has been the COVID-19 pandemic. [bctt tweet=”Abusing teachers is normal. Normal is not a destination worth seeking.” username=””] “Mental health” and “work-life balance” are the in-vogue phrases that are used to tell teachers to take care of themselves. Meanwhile, […]
Posted inCOVID-19
When Teaching Middle Schoolers: The Most Asked Question is, “Are You Insane?”
“Oh, bless your heart!” “Do you enjoy torture and insane little heathens?” “You’d have to be crazy to teach that age group!” These are the questions other teachers ask me when they find out I actually enjoy teaching middle school. Those responses are what I usually hear when I tell people of my occupation, along with […]
Posted inHigh School
Pronouns: The Least We Can Do for Students Who Identify As Transgender or Non-Binary
Discomfort For Solidarity In a recent staff equity meeting, the concept of staff responsibility in gender pronouns came up. It seemed that everyone there had at least one student who used pronouns that didn’t necessarily align with the sex they were assigned at birth. And, they all fully supported the importance of honoring student’s pronouns […]