As an eighth-grade civics teacher, I am about to start my unit of study on the Executive Branch. To be honest, I’m a little scared. Strike that. I am very scared. “Why are you scared, George?” you may ask. “If you stick to the facts, you’ll have nothing to worry about,” In normal times, I’d […]
High School
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
The Death of Reflection in English/Language Arts Classrooms
I had the saddest experience today. In English IV, British Literature, I assign my students a coat of arms assignment. They have to design a personal coat of arms on a poster then write about the color, animals, motto, and research their first and last name. They have to write an experience they went through […]
Posted inElectives & Special Areas
Using Popular Music in the Secondary Classroom
Teachers born between 1950 and 1980 makeup both the baby-boom generation and those known as “Generation X.” The music with which they grew up is a reflection of the historical periods that produced it – Vietnam, the Cold War, the Fall of Communism, September 11, 2001, and the events that followed. Teachers of social studies […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
[OPINION] All “Armed” for Our Students
This is an opinion piece from one of our writers. To read more of our opinions around (not) arming teachers, please click Dear Generation X, #ArmMeWith Campaign, and many more here. In the wake of the recent tragedy in Florida, some people have been quick to call for (more) gun control. The usage of guns […]
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 inSocial Justice
31 Reasons For Black History Month
The captain of the Umoja Step Team popped into my classroom as she is apt to do at least two times a day. As she was leaving, she patted the advertisement posted on my classroom door for the upcoming Black History Celebration, hosted by the team. Turning towards me, she stated: “A girl in my […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
How Gregory Salcido Sullied the Teaching Profession
“We have a bunch of dumb sh**s over there…” California high school teacher Gregory Salcido said, in the midst of his classroom discussion with his teenage students. “They’re not academic people, not intellectual people. They’re the freaking lowest of our low…” The video, recorded by student Victor Q. (who wishes to join the United States […]
Posted inElectives & Special Areas
Black History Month and PBL: Ideas for Educators
As we enter February, 2018, schools across America will engage in activities celebrating Black History Month in the United States. There is a strong current in secondary education today where the goal is to move classroom activities away from teacher-centered activities toward “project-based learning” or PBL. This trend has specific criteria that ensure rigorous learning […]