“She doin’ too much!” “Do it take all that?” “Show some humility!” and the ever-trending “She looks like a man!” I purposely quoted, verbatim, a handful of statements about nearly all the Black women currently killin’ the 2021 United States Olympic Trials in multiple categories. What might surprise some readers is that this Black, Female […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
We Need to Reimagine Education. Is Critical Race Theory the Answer?
Believe it or not, we are living during an educational renaissance. Politicians are grappling with how much money should be dedicated to school systems to adequately pay teachers and provide proper resources, principals must consider the metrics to use to observe teachers as virtual academies crop up throughout the states, all while teachers navigate mitigating […]
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What Virtual Learning Can’t Replicate from the Classroom
Before Covid-19 struck many of us were in peak stride in our yearly routine. Students came in, the bell rang, we welcomed them, we taught them something, they practiced it, maybe they asked some questions, the bell rang again, and we moved on to the next class. At the high school level, even if you […]
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Survivor’s Guilt and Collective Trauma in Returning Back to School in 2021
After the Dust Settles For the past few days, I’ve been busy setting up my new classroom. I’m sure you know what that entails. For me, it’s a new beginning, and a chance to hopefully put some of this past year behind me. Yet, I wonder as I look at the now-empty student desks, will […]
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A Letter to My Seniors: The Class That Conquered the Pandemic
It has been a challenging year to be a teacher. This is not a newsflash to anyone who is a teacher, has a teacher in their lives, or has been paying attention to life for the last year. As easy as it is to focus on the struggles and the negativity this year brought, I […]
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Alan’s Declassified School Survivor Guide for First-Year Teachers
Alan Jimenez is a first-grade teacher from Southeast Texas. He is currently planning to pursue a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Early Childhood Education. His focus as an educator is to provide a well-balanced education for all his students, particularly those from impoverished homes or those who do not […]
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Words Can Stick With Students for a Lifetime: Part One
Words Can Stick With People for a Lifetime “Be mindful when it comes to your words. A string of some that don’t mean much to you, may stick with someone else for a lifetime.” -Rachel Wolchin Whoever came up with the childhood rhyme “ sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never […]
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The Power of Words in the Classroom: Part Two
Every teacher should know the power of words in the classroom. In part one of this series, I introduce the idea that words have the power to heal or the power to harm. In this series, I give tips on words to avoid, words to say more, and how science shows that words can change […]