Decoding alone doesn’t capture the rhythms, rhymes, and stories children carry in their bodies and homes. You walk into a classroom, and you hear the laughter on the faces of the youth. They are clapping their hands, stomping their feet, reciting the songs in their homes, and the dances of the latest dance challenge. I […]
Culturally Responsive Teaching
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Around the World in 80 Lessons: Warnings in Genocide to the US from Armenia
This summer, I was invited to study at the Genocide Museum in Yerevan, Armenia as a teacher fellow with the Genocide Education Project. I walked the museum with Regina Galustyan, the museum’s biographer and researcher. I sat in on lectures from professors like Dr. Dikran Kaligian and visited cultural sites and monasteries. I watched Armenian […]
Posted inCulturally Responsive Teaching
Teachers have major reservations about restorative justice. Let’s Dispel 3 Myths
Tanya* arrived late to class and told me that Chris* pushed her into the bushes because he thought it was funny. Although I asked Chris about this in a calm and non-accusatory tone, he became confrontational, yelling and dropping F-bombs. This incident occurred a couple of weeks into the school year, so I didn’t know […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
U.S. Department of Education Dismisses Complaints on “Book Bans” and Ends Related Oversight
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced on Friday that it has dismissed 11 complaints about removing certain books from school libraries. The complaints alleged that local school districts created a hostile environment for students by eliminating materials deemed age-inappropriate, sexually explicit, or obscene. OCR also announced it has rescinded department […]
Posted inCulturally Responsive Teaching
Addressing the Need: Spanish-speaking immigrants and access to special education resources
Spanish-speaking families: Growing up, my pride in my Hispanic heritage defined much of my identity. As a proud Latina, being Argentinian was a source of immense joy and pride for me. I eagerly took any opportunity to share stories about my father’s journey from Argentina to the United States, leaving his family behind for a […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
Teaching and Basketball: Five key takeaways from the Women’s SEC Basketball Tournament that teachers must understand to cultivate successful students
If you watched the Women’s SEC Basketball Tournament this past weekend, you saw some of the league’s best female players engage in amazingly electrifying basketball in pursuit of the coveted SEC Championship title. Each team, regardless of seeding, showed up prepared to achieve one of the goals that have been on their vision boards since […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Collaborative Teaching? Evidence tells us it works
I came to the United States to teach during the height of the pandemic, where all students and teachers were teaching and learning online. It is in this platform of teaching, where I experienced daily interaction and collaboration among my colleagues on how to navigate teaching through the virtual world as this was something new […]
Posted inCulturally Responsive Teaching
Florida State Board of Education implements stricter regulations on DEI programs and educational content
The day after celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday, the State Board of Education in Florida introduced regulations restricting public funds for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, activities, and policies within the Florida College System (FCS). The new rule, adopted by the Board, prohibits institutions within the FCS from utilizing state or federal funds […]