Several weeks ago, President Trump announced his plans for a patriotic education commission, dubbed the 1776 Commission. He simultaneously criticized teachers for indoctrinating students and urged them to focus on America’s strengths; the president has confused indoctrination and education. Picking and choosing what history to emphasize or highlight based on how it makes the nation […]
Current Events in Education
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
10 Reasons Why American Reconstruction Is the Most Important Unit I’ll Teach This Year
When I first started teaching the second-half of American history, my colleagues and I fell in love with the curriculum. The Civil War, the World Wars, the industrialization and rise of America, and the jazz age all piqued our interests. But one unit that always left us wanting more was Reconstruction. Often glossed over as […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
The 5 Stages of Grief Pandemic Style
This morning I attended a virtual conference on Teacher Self Care presented by the Educator’s Room. First of all, this was so nice to be connected with like-minded people and not feel isolated for a change. During one session presented by Caitlin Mehra on emotions. It was here I had my own “Aha” moment regarding […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Teachers: Stop What You’re Doing
To my fellow teachers: Stop what you’re doing. Whatever it is, stop. Following up with families whose kids aren’t joining your Zoom calls, providing feedback to students’ work, watching a webinar on Social Emotional Learning, or anti-racist teaching practices, reviewing your lessons and tasks for the coming days… I know. It is all very, very […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
No More COVID-10 Aid Until After I Win, Trump Declares
In true fashion, Donald Trump took to Twitter today to let the world know that a new Coronavirus relief package wouldn’t come until after the November 3rd election. This decision has the possibility of being a hurdle to the thousands of K-12 schools who are depending on the aid from Washington to operate during the […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
All the Things We Lose to Standardized Testing…Even During a Pandemic
While many debates on whether or not standardized testing should be a part of the 2020-2021 school year, I (and many other educators) are still wondering why it exists at all. Don’t get me wrong, I see value in data and tracking student progress. However, I absolutely do not see value in billion-dollar testing companies, […]
Posted inCOVID-19
Opinion: Why Are You Worried About Socialism In My Class? What about Fascism?
By Thomas Courtney Donald Trump Jr. believes I’m poisoning my students’ minds with far-left radical ideals. In fact, he’s called my colleagues and I losers as if we purvey socialism like vodka, deodorant, and steaks. I even think a few of my more conservative relatives have their suspicions of me working as a deep state […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
The System is Broken But Are We Ready to Fix it?
I cannot count the number of times I have heard “now is the time to reimagine education!” in the last six months. While the majority of people who voice this sentiment are referring to better delivery of online instruction or disrupting our current teaching practices, I think we are missing the crux of our problems […]