Growing up, I remember learning about Benjamin Franklin explaining life’s assurances: “…in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” He was explaining to a French pen pal that the American experiment was as raw as it was unpredictable. The Constitution and our fledgling country were trees in the desert, […]
From the Front Lines
Posted inCommon Core, Featured, From the Front Lines, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Social Studies
Informational Text for Social Studies or English: “The Perils of Indifference” by Elie Wiesel
By my calculations, at the mid-point of the school year, many World History classes are studying World War II. Should these classes want to increase their use of an informational text in English or Social Studies curriculum, I suggest Elie Wiesel’s noteworthy speech The Perils of Indifference. Wiesel delivered this speech to Congress on April 12, […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, How to Fix Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Uncategorized
The Emperor’s New Clothes: There’s No Magic Answer in Reading
Let us face it- in education many of us are waiting for some fairy reading tales to come true. For instance, we may be hoping to meet Prince Charming and live in his magnificent castle. However, nobody wants to walk down the street without clothes, even in our nightmares. I contend that most commercial reading […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Stellar Educator of the Week
Jeannine J.: Our Stellar Educator of the Week!
Name: Jeannine J. School: Walpole, MA Years Teaching: 10+ years Specialty: English/ Language Arts, Science, Mathematics, Social Sciences Congratulations to Jeannine J., our Stellar Educator of the Week! Jeannine is a Kindergarten Teacher. She was nominated by one of her peers, and we agree that Jeannine is an amazing educator! Here is what her […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum
Twitter Chat Tonight! 9PM EST #theedroom
Join us tonight at 9PM EST on Twitter (@theeducatorsroom) to discuss the teachers at Ballard High School and Garfield High School in Seattle, Washington who refuse to administer a standardized test to students! Share your thoughts with us. Is this a great act of civil disobedience or are the teachers just overacting? Use the hashtag […]
Posted inFine Arts, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Opinion
Based on a True Story: A Critical Look at Teachers in Movies
I remember having a romanticized view of teaching while I was in college. Though I can attribute some of this to a few overly idealistic professors, I mostly blame the movies. It was probably one week into student teaching when I came to the painful realization that I did not have the ability to magically […]
Posted inOpinion
Adopting a State Legislator for a Day: Teachers Get Political
Teachers don’t often consider themselves to be in a political profession. If they are active in their union, they may take interest when their contract is bargained with their district. Teachers are usually fairly well-informed when they decide to vote. But beyond this basic civic participation, educators’ focus usually remains steadfast on their student’s well-being […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Opinion, Parents, Social Studies
The Lesson I Taught My Son About the Observance of Dr. King's Birthday
Being a teacher is both a curse and a blessing to my 12 year old son. On one hand I can help him with his homework, but on the other hand I tend to stress about things that other parents sometimes do not. Take for instance the observance of Dr. King ‘s birthday on today […]