As the year winds down, it’s important for educators to continue to use their voices to help amplify the voices of those in the trenches. From classroom teachers to retired educators- these are the voices we want to hear more from in 2022. Deidra Fogarty- Founder of Black Girls Teach Black Girls Teach is a […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Assessing Your School’s Social Emotional Learning Practice
Social and emotional learning is abuzz in educational circles now at long last. One might even say it’s a call to action, one that is long overdue in our schools.
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The Quest for Great Educational Video Games – Level 1: Where to Begin
Educational Video Games (henceforth eduGames) are as old as video games themselves, but their respective paths have led to completely different destinations. From Pong to Fortnite, commercial video games went from an at-home experience to a legitimate organized sport. They continue to be one of the most popular items in the entertainment market. Many eGaming […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Student Discipline: If the students ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy
I remember my first classroom. It was bursting at the seams with posters, fairy lights, rugs, artwork, and anything that I could squeeze onto the walls in hopes of inspiring students to want to learn. My sweet Guinea pig students were not only dealing with me trying to find my feet as an educator, but they also had to battle the distractions they were fighting in trying to pay attention to me amongst the collage of my excitement suffocating them; on all sides!
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
How Do You Grow As a Teacher? Reflection Without Condemnation
When I look back on my early years as a teacher, I have moments that I remember and literally cringe at, thankful for how far I have come. Not from the typical woes of learning this craft, but at my previous mindset, something I said or did, or something I wouldn’t dare teach now. Without […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Assigning a Research Paper? Think About Rigor, Responsibility, and Relevance in English/Language Arts
As English language arts teachers, we need to teach the language of doing business along with the literary arts. Thesis We teach literary research and other standard ELA concepts because students will be able to transfer the skills. Simply put, if students can research the imagery of Emily Dickinson’s poems, they can, likewise, research blood-alcohol […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Please Stop Using Blaccent With Your Students
Probably one of the most dehumanizing aspects of my educational journey as both a student and an educator is the “blaccent” that non-Black educators use when addressing Black people. According to Dictionary.com, a “blaccent” is “the imitation of Black English by non-black people.” It’s an offensive mockery of Black culture. To my non-Black educators, stop […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
When Teachers Become Lifelong Learners, They Recognize Untapped Potential
The easiest student to teach is one that is eager to learn. An enthusiasm for school eases the difficult task teachers face of convincing students their education is worthwhile. While some students develop this naturally, the best way to foster intrinsic motivation in all students is done by demonstrating it yourself.