I can still remember how I felt as I looked at the tears falling from one of my brightest students as she sat in her assigned seat for the Georgia Milestones Assessment last spring. Because I was mandated to sign my life away on a form acknowledging the serious nature of standardized testing, all I […]
Current Events in Education
3 Ways to Stop Ignoring the Teacherpreneur In You
If you’re like me, you have dreams and ideas outside of the classroom. It may be within education, training other teachers, or posting a “saving grace” for teachers on Teachers Pay Teachers. Or… you could be looking to start a business to get you out of the classroom. Whatever your path is, entrepreneurship is not […]
5 Reasons To Consider Advising A Student Club
One’s teaching career often goes through seasons. A young teacher year is often more like summer, filled with energy, fun ideas, and optimism. However, more experienced teachers may begin the school year recharged only to hit a wall by the end of Autumn, plunging into a winter-like rut for the remainder of a school year. […]
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?: The Neuroscience Behind Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood
Mister Rogers and his philosophy of loving our neighbors as they are has gained momentum over the past year, especially since the release of the biographical documentary film Won’t You Be My Neighbor? in 2018. What’s more, the trailer for the film “A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood” starring Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers was […]
Patriotism and Politics: “In God We Trust” in Public Schools
As the 2019-2020 school year commences, the calendar might as well read the year 1956–the year President Eisenhower included “one nation under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance and the national motto declared: “In God We Trust.” Although the futuristic year of 2020 is upon us, we continue to live in a time of anxiety […]
The Boutique Schools Of Our Future
This past week I spent a few days at Northeastern University for a doctoral residency in the program I’m currently studying under. Part of this experience was spending a day interacting with the NExT community: A group of schools dedicated to Innovation and experiential learning as part of their mission. I learned about programs such […]
New Tricks for Old Dogs: What Novice Teachers Offer
With 44% of teachers quitting within the first five years of entering the profession, it is statistically likely you know a teacher like me: one who has yet to cross the five-year threshold. I am almost there, approaching my fifth year, but have yet to earn esteem as a “veteran teacher” among my colleagues. Rightfully […]
Fellow educators, do you care about other people’s children? How about migrant children?
Fellow educators, you have made a career centered around giving to children. You have worked diligently to become an expert in your curriculum, designing dynamic lessons while connecting to the whole child. You might even call the students on your rosters, “your kids.” With your compassion for other people’s children as a focus, I ask […]
