I am writing on the eve of Martin Luther King, Jr Day, 2018 not just as a social studies teacher, but as an American citizen. I am a pastor’s kid, so I grew up hearing the Christian message of loving one’s neighbor as oneself and to love mercy, do justice, and to walk humbly with […]
Current Events in Education
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Don’t Be Tooled by Your Technology
Technology can be a tool, but also a trap The tools technology has brought to education can come with conveniences and learning opportunities. For example, many classrooms in my district, if not most, now have a SMART Board. I didn’t even know what a SMART Board was until just a few years ago. Now my district […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
I am Ms. Deyshia Hargrave
And so are the 3.2 million public school teachers across America. On Monday, January 8, 2018, Ms. Deyshia Hargrave, a veteran public school teacher, questioned the Vermillion Parish School District’s Board of Education’s decision to raise the salary of Superintendent Jerome Puyau (by over $30,000). When speaking at the meeting, Ms. Hargrave said: “We […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
Teaching While White: How can a white suburban teacher lead students of color in their celebration of Black History?
The 2017–2018 school year has brought new opportunities for this veteran teacher, including the challenge of advising the Umoja Step Team, a cultural dance group at the suburban high school where I teach. Previously, I outlined my amazement with this group in my piece, “My Classroom is a Dance Floor,” which highlighted my first […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Religion in Schools: A Delicate Balance
The Impact of Religion and Education It cannot be denied that religion is a major element of culture around the world. Its existence cannot be denied, and it is a central focus in the lives of a vast majority of people on planet Earth. Religion acts as the foundation for the moral and ethical structure […]
Posted inCommon Core
“Let Them Eat Cake:” How Teachers Can Resist Banned Words
Words never uttered can be extremely significant. Often the perception of words said (or unsaid) carry more importance than truth. In October of 1789, Marie Antoinette did not look down at the swarming hordes of fishmonger women storming the Palace on Versailles and […]
Posted inOpinion
The BEST New Year’s Resolution for Teachers: STOP EXCUSING Student Profanity
“For as good manners cannot subsist without good laws, so those laws cannot be put into execution without good manners.” – Machiavelli When I was a high school freshman many years ago, I once told a fellow student in a fit of annoyance to “stop bitching” about something. My teacher glanced over and with […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The Second Quarter Blues
The weeks between Thanksgiving and the New Year are often cited as the most wonderful time of the year… except when they are the worst. In schools that begin around Labor Day, the Second Quarter – or second grading period – typically stretches from November to January. Due to holidays, concerts, sporting events, interruptions, and the […]