Question #3 What’s a good way to find materials for my classroom? I teach high school social studies but the problem is that there are not enough books in the school for every student so I have to supplement. I mainly teach Government/American Civics. Can you find me some good sites to get activities, tests, […]
From the Front Lines
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Opinion, Parents
Making an Impact-How Influences Shaped My Teaching
I am daily reminded of how much of an impact I have on my students. For instance, I have a parent who is always in a hurry to drop off their student. This parent doesn’t stop to look at poetry I have displayed on the wall or work that has gone home with great big stickers and […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Stellar Educator of the Week
Tracey S. — Stellar Educator of the Week!
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Name: Tracey S. School District: West Contra Costa USD Years Teaching: 9-10 years Specialty: Special Needs Students Tracey has the distinction of having been nominated by two separate colleagues! We are […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher, Featured, From the Front Lines
{Ask a Teacher} I Feel Like I'm Stuck In the Teaching Profession!
Question #4- I’m stuck. Literally stuck. This is my 12th year teaching and because of the pressure of kids passing tests, unruly students, privileged parents who are insanely rude to the teachers–I rarely want to come to work. I’ve considered quitting but ultimately my students will suffer. How can I get through this year without […]
Posted inElementary School, Featured, From the Front Lines, Opinion, Uncategorized
Inexcusable Sympathies
There was a time when standing up for public school teachers in the United States was not merely acceptable behavior, it was actually the cultural norm. We gave our teachers accolades in the public arena, hoping that our efforts at demonstrating our united esteem might somehow make up for the low pay we afforded them. […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines, Opinion, School Improvement, Uncategorized
The Educational Reformer's Orthodoxy
Joel Klein’s veracity was challenged–shredded might be a better word–in a recent article in The American Prospect. The best line in the piece was “Klein didn’t overcome demographic odds; he fulfilled them.” The powerful, eviscerating truth of this simple line erases every last vestige of credibility The Legend of Klein ever had. Michelle Rhee’s breathless […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, How to Fix Education, Opinion, Uncategorized
The Bliss of Contextual Ignorance
I heard a famous school reform advocate–the kind of guy who says things like “Last time I checked there are no jobs for people who have a mean macaroni art game,” and “Failed schools must be closed and the children provided with vouchers so they can attend good schools”–tell a crowd once how proud he […]
Posted inElementary School, From the Front Lines, How to Fix Education, Opinion, Uncategorized
The "No Excuses" Parent
By writing an article entitled “The Exhaustion of the American Teacher” recently, I unwittingly unleashed a torrent of competing emotions. With 81,000 Facebook “likes” and scores of supportive comments from teachers and their loved ones, the text and tenor of the piece found a receptive audience. At the same time, several of the comments—from both […]