Part 1: Preparing for Your Search Is quitting teaching one of your new year’s resolutions? You’re not alone. Teacher attrition has always been a problem in education. Now teachers are in the midst of a pandemic and a battle over a historically accurate, anti-racist curriculum. If you’re ready to quit teaching in 2022, I want to […]
Instruction & Curriculum
The Gifted Child Checklist: They Come in All Varieties
The common theory is that high achieving students are the students that need the enrichment of gifted education classes. When, in reality, gifted kids come in all varieties. First, a little background: I was a gifted education kid, my daughter is a gifted education kid, and now I’m earning my certification in gifted education. I’ve […]
10 Books That Changed My Teaching Practice
There’s no shortage of teaching books out there, but here are 10 of my absolute must-reads. While they aren’t all strictly teaching books, that’s by design. The more I’ve learned about history, policy, and the human condition, the better teacher I’ve become. Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain by Zaretta Hammond Why it’s a must-read: […]
Opinion: January 6th is Not Up for Debate
Stephen Colbert famously said, “Facts have a well-known liberal bias.” The satirical statement doesn’t feel as funny in the current era of rampant misinformation and The Big Lie. A year ago today, January 6th, a violent attack on the United States Capitol happened. It was a result of a toxic stew cooked up by Donald […]
An Analysis of Why You Should Teach The Deeper the Roots by Michael Tubbs
I first met Michael Tubbs when he was a freshman in college at our annual African American Student Union (AASU) trip to Stanford’s High School Black Student Union (BSU) Conference. His raw, real, and relatable personality, coupled with a clearly home-taught respect, gave me a glimpse into the incredible future he had before him. I had no […]
Abbott Elementary: When New Teachers Want to Save the World- Episode 2
We already told you last week how much we love Abbott Elementary after watching their Pilot episode, but this week we think this show can expose the world to the foolishness that happens in schools. This week we meet second-grade teacher, Janine Teagues’ no-good boyfriend, who we see drops her off at school (in her […]
Abbott Elementary is the Comedy You Need In Your Life
Abbott Elementary is the Tuesday night comedy that every teacher needs right now. Set in Philadelphia Public Schools and centered around Janine Teagues, a second-grade teacher struggling to find her voice. In a mix of comedic asides and zingy one-liners, the show nails what it’s like to teach in an urban school that is severely […]
How VH1 Inspired the Way I Taught Novels
Maybe my millennial is showing, but VH1’s “Watch and Discuss” campaign had an incredible impact on how I taught novels in my grade 8 standard ELA class. I wondered, what if I took the same concept and applied it to reading in English class? I made reading a novel as engaging as watching a VH1 […]
