On an Easter Sunday, decades ago, my pastor baptized me into the faith. I do not exactly remember the words – but to an extent, they were, “buried with Christ in baptism, raised to walk in newness of life.” It is all symbolic of letting go of your past sins and receiving a fresh […]
Current Events in Education
Posted inAsk a Teacher
Teach to the Rest: How the Pandemic Could Be the Best Thing for Education in 20 Years
What’s getting you through 2020’s chaos? For me, it’s the knowledge that education could change, and not by a little. As with all things education, I’m not alone of course, And many others have come before me. I know because I used the pandemic to read them all. Reardon and Timar. Ravitch and Tatum, Delpit […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
White House Infrastructure Bill: What it Means for Equitable Education
Just two months into Joe Biden’s Presidency and one COVID-19 relief bill later, there are talks of a substantial infrastructure bill from administration insiders. The bill, which hopes to bring job opportunities to countless Americans, includes provisions related to climate change, pharmaceutical drug affordability, and childcare. The provisions that would have perhaps the most profound […]
Posted inInterviews
Interviewing Schools to Find the Best Fit For You
As hiring season for the next school year approaches, it’s time to have a real conversation about teacher interviews. When we interview for a position we often focus on convincing the place we want to work to hire us. The spotlight is on you to knock it out of the park and come off as […]
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 inDo The Work
Stoicism and Project-Based Learning: How an Ancient Philosophy Changed my Teaching Methods
Brian Francis Smith is an educator, author, podcaster, husband, and father of two middle school-aged daughters. He is in his 19th year of teaching English at Cheltenham High School, a public school outside of Philadelphia. Brian is the author of two novels and has taught creative writing at the Philadelphia Writers’ Conference. He currently teaches […]
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
Teachers Don’t Get To Turn Off School
Sarah Styf is a 19-year high school English teacher currently on a teaching sabbatical. She lives in the Houston area with her husband and two children. She is passionate about education reform and civic engagement. She can be found on Instagram @sarah.styf and Twitter @sarahstyf. When we experience moments of pause, we are often able to finally see […]