A Need to Belong My memories of being bullied in middle school and high school are still vivid. As an individual on the autism spectrum, the complexities of social relationships were especially challenging during my formative years. It is with great empathy that I now approach the challenge of inclusive settings as an educator. I […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Trailblazing for Liberation: How Jamial Black Is Reimagining Education as Justice Work
In a national moment where education is increasingly shaped by policy debates, cultural tensions, and systemic inequities, educators like Top 50 Educator, Jamial Black, are reframing the profession as more than instruction; they are positioning it as a site of intervention, advocacy, and liberation. Black, a first-generation scholar, educator, and founder of Roots of Wisdom […]
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Gratitude Tour: Libby Lang
Six years into my still-fledgling career, I began teaching at Durham Academy, a Pre-K to 12 independent school in North Carolina. It would be difficult to find anyone who represents all that is wonderful and worthy about Durham Academy more than Libby Lang. Independent schools, especially, come to be known for certain families. I’d stack […]
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When Behavior Is Survival: Understanding Trauma in the Classroom
More than meets the eye We’re sitting together, going over her English notes, and I can see the frustration building in her eyes. Before I can even finish my sentence, she bolts out of her chair, storms over, her voice trembling as she shouts, “I’m going to fail! I’m a failure. I’m never going to […]
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Personalized Book Recommendations Changed My Classroom Library. Here’s Why.
Walk into almost any school library and you’ll see the same thing… A small group of students browsing confidently. A much larger group hovering, unsure where to start. And a few who’ve already mentally checked out before they’ve even touched a book. What separates the engaged readers from everyone else? Often, it’s not ability. It’s […]
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Truth, Courage, and the Power of Student Voice: The Transformative Work of Jessyca Mathews
For Jessyca Mathews, education has never been just about teaching literature or preparing students for exams. It has always been about something deeper: helping young people find their voice and use it to change the world. An English and AP African American Studies teacher at Carman-Ainsworth High School, Mathews has built a national reputation as […]
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You Won the Race”: A health class euphemism, reimagined
I generally dislike teacher stories marketed as “based on a true story.” They’re always cleaned up, sanded down, and weaponized for sentimentality. So here’s something that actually happened on Friday: exactly as it happened, with no moral pre-installed. I teach special education English in an urban high school in the Northeast. First period. A self-contained […]
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Education Department to vacate D.C. headquarters as downsizing effort continues
The U.S. Department of Education announced plans to vacate its longtime headquarters in the Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) building, marking one of the most visible steps yet in the Trump administration’s ongoing effort to scale back the agency. The Department said the LBJ building, which is located in downtown Washington, will be turned over to […]