I had a student observer this past spring who asked me “how we do it?” She wanted to know how, in spite of all the stuff thrown our way – the attacks on the profession, the teachers, the union, the pension, the lifestyle, the politics, the “part-time worker” status, the lack of results – and […]
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Posted inFeatured
The Traveling Teacher: China, Part II – Xi’an and Shanghai
In the part 1 of this 2-part series, I shared what it was like to visit Beijing. Before I attempt to write my way through the ancient capital of Xi’an and the ultra-modern Shanghai, you may want to give the previous article a bit of your time. Day 5: Xi’an City Walls and Massage Biking […]
Posted inThe Traveling Teacher
The Traveling Teacher: China, Part I – Beijing
Ever since I proposed to my wife, I’ve dreamed of going to China. I’d wanted to visit there so badly that I even – get this – floated the idea of having our honeymoon there. So when the NEA Foundation awarded me with the Teacher of Excellence and Global Fellowship Awards and invited 49 other […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Attention Right-Wing: Teachers Aren’t Promoting an Anti-American Agenda
On the eve of Independence Day, columnist Charles Krauthammer appeared on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show and stated that a waning pride in America is largely because “we teach our children about all the pathologies in the United States and very little about the glories.” To be fair, as Carlson acknowledged this precipitous drop in […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
TED Talks in the Classroom: Students Become the Teachers
Peaceful art Why adults should play children’s games Positivity and perseverance can get you to your goals Be yourself and follow your passion The value of the Venus Fly Trap How to solve the Pyraminx Living with epilepsy does not have to dampen dreams…. These are not articles by the latest education expert or motivational […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
The STEM Revolution in Higher Education
I just got back from a fascinating conference about the state of STEM in U.S. schools, sponsored by U.S. News and World Report! I was compelled by the idea of a STEM revolution in higher education; as a middle school teacher, it really didn’t occur to me that colleges would be reacting in a similar […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The Dilution of Gifted Programs
by Guest Writer: Kelly Ann Guglietti Elementary school gifted programs are being diluted. Our society values those students excelling in math and science to lead our country’s future in biological sciences, environmental sciences, medicine and law to name a few disciplines. But why are school systems being allowed to water down gifted programs due to […]
Posted inTeacher Leaders
What I Learned About Burnout Prevention As A New Teacher
by Guest Writer Bailey Cavender As a first year teacher, I never really understood summer vacation until school ended for the year this past week. Sure, I enjoyed summer vacation while I was a student. It was nice to have some time to read books for fun or to watch a movie […]