“A golden fish has no hiding place.” —Vivian Ifeagwu Vivian Ifeagwu’s journey into education was not accidental—it was destiny. Inspired by her mother, a beloved mathematics teacher who made learning joyful and deeply engaging, Vivian grew up already embodying the essence of an educator. “I knew immediately that teaching is a career I have been […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Helping students feel like they belong in the classroom
Every year, I hope to create a safe space for my students. You never really know the dynamic of your class or how the kids will feel. You strive for the best while you hope it all works out. It’s always interesting to see how my class dynamic is never the same, and there are […]
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Seeing Them Clearly: What my students taught me about stereotypes
Educators don’t always have the luxury of complete control of the curriculum or class size. What we do have is the power to check if stereotyping students is a silent danger that could impact how we teach and what students learn. We, ourselves, are just as likely to be stereotyped by the students who may […]
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Kindergarten nearly broke me: Classroom chaos to virtual success
On my first day in a classroom full of kindergarteners, I stood before them in the most adorable flats designed to look like pencils. On the board, I had the most perfectly crafted calendar full of rainbows and polka dots. My heart and face were full of hope and joy for the year ahead. A […]
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Dystopian Teacher Tales: Cool swag at the school fair!
The following story is fictional, set in a third Trump term. The President has recently alluded to the idea of seeking a third term, and as imagined in this story, that could lead to deep-rooted changes for children in schools. In the story, a single mother and her son Jamaal struggle with finding a proper […]
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The quietest voices, the strongest lessons: How a field trip changed my quietest student
My classroom is full of treasures. Pictures from years past, drawings from students who wanted to leave me with a piece of their creativity, and a big red button labeled Do Not Push – because, let’s be honest, I had to know which kid was willing to risk it all. But the most important thing […]
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Swipe—Tap— Send: Why Students Write the Way They Live
Exhibit A: did i miss anything yesturday i was absent n why did u give me a 0 for my hw fri No greeting.No punctuation.No subject—or worse, the whole email crammed in the subject line. And it hits your inbox at 7:03am.On a Tuesday.Before your coffee. Not only are you decoding the spelling, you’re trying […]
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AI: The New 3 Rs Reading, Writing, and Robots
Education never stands still. As an undergraduate, this constant evolution both frightened and fascinated me, especially when one of my professors challenged us to research current slang terms. Standing in front of my peers, delivering an earnest presentation on the words “basic” and “on fleek,” I initially felt ridiculous. Yet even then, I understood the […]