I’m mad. I’m furious. And I feel alone. According to EveryTown for Gun Safety Support Fund, “Since 2013, there have been nearly 300 school shootings.” How did we get here? How did we get to a society which broadcasts more violence and hatred than kindness and generosity? A society where people are more likely to turn […]
Confessions of a Teacher
What are the confessions of a teacher? Read these articles and find out.
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
How My Teachers Saved My Life
I’m a proud graduate of Panther Valley High School, which a website labeled the “6th worst district in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.” Nestled in the brown belt, coal region of our state, it has suffered economic and social turmoil for decades now. That said, I don’t care one bit about what that website says, the […]
Posted inTeacher Leaders
[Opinion] America’s Gun Problem: What Can Teachers Do?
It’s been a tough week. If you are a teacher, student or parent in an American public school, the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida that killed 17 people is just as upsetting as the mass shooting that came before it. Memories of the Las Vegas shooting, the Orlando Pulse shooting, San Bernardino, Virginia Tech, Aurora, […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
The Financial Trials and Tribulations of Teaching
The contents of this article may seem obvious, but when I was a new teacher fresh out of college, no one went over the basics of living as an adult with me. My parents passed away shortly after I started my teaching career, and I had to learn these financial survival skills from the school […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
Dealing With Difficult Parents
I am in a new position this year. It’s new all the way around: new school, new families, new to the public arena of special education. I was chosen by my principal for the position I took this year. I unexpectedly walked into several messes that were leftover from last year, and because of that, parents […]
Posted inTeacher Leaders
Commentary: I am Wasting my Time Teaching about “Shithole” Countries!
From The Washington Post… “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” Trump said, according to these people, referring to countries mentioned by the lawmakers. Trump then suggested that the United States should instead bring more people from countries such as Norway, whose prime minister he met with Wednesday. The president, […]
Posted inTeacher Leaders
The Pastor and the President: Race in the American Classroom Today
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 […]
Posted inTeacher Self Care
Extinguish the Flame and Stop Burning the Midnight Oil
Educators are notorious for arriving at school early and staying way past the end of the school day. Even the weekends aren’t off limits. Some work in their classrooms part of Saturday and return on Sunday. Many times these educators find themselves being asked to leave by the custodial staff. It’s time to blow out […]