Wow, I’m surprised he did so well on the test. He’s not ghetto like those other boys. She’s so loud. They don’t care. They can’t read. They’re just lazy. Microaggression: a comment or action that subtly and often unconsciously or unintentionally expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group (such as a […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Dear Principal: Cancel That Honor Roll Assembly!
Remember those bumper stickers that seemed all the rage in the nineties: “My son is an Honor Roll Student at Pleasant Valley Middle School?” Or, maybe you chuckled at the inappropriate bumper sticker that read: “My kid can beat up your honor roll student?” Or, perhaps you have seen posts on social media by proud […]
Self-Care Tips for the New Teacher: The Black Immigrant Perspective
Guest Writer: Jheanell Lumsden I remember leaving my classroom after teaching one of my toughest classes and crying in the bathroom of my placement school during my student teaching practicum. This was something that happened quite often. I constantly felt like I was drowning and I would often question whether teaching, in urban communities, was […]
San Antonio Teacher Self-Care Conference- One Day Institute
For the 2018-2019 school year, we’ve committed to visiting four cities to bring a truncadated version of the Teacher Self-Care Conference to select cities across America. Back in October we visited Chicago and worked with 133 teachers all around their self-care! Now we’re headed to San Antonio on January 26, 2019! We have […]
Let’s Diversify America’s Teaching Staff
Earlier this Spring, the Philadelphia-based education think tank Research for Action held a Twitter chat around the hashtag #4percentchat, which was the number of non-white teachers that we have here in Pennsylvania. Yes, though 18% of the Commonwealth is non-white, teachers of color are much less rare. While this is a problem in Pennsylvania, its […]
Band-Aiding The Mental Health of Our Children
I deal with the most difficult of kids. In all of my years of teaching, I have been called The Pied Piper for Children’s Behavior and a Child Whisperer. But one thing that has never gotten easier is seeing seven, eight and nine-year-old children on medications that can eventually cause more harm than good. [bctt […]
Gratefully Addicted to Remind.com
Do you use Remind? I am currently enrolled in fourteen Remind groups. Fourteen may sound excessive, but I am grateful for each membership because it has increased my connection to my students and my children’s school life. In case you are unfamiliar with my favorite technology, please allow me to explain. The Remind App is […]
The Shakespeare Paradox
In Mitchell County, NC, there was recently an uproar regarding students attending a production of The Complete Works of Shakespeare: Abridged by the Reduced Shakespeare Company. Based on the article (which you can read here), it sounds as though the Parkway Playhouse, the theatre company that performed the play, went above and beyond to tone […]
