My mentor teacher was a six-foot two-inch Black Male, who exuded confidence, creativity, and a command of a room I envied on so many levels. He described himself as an Ex-Black Panther “intimate” different than a member, an “intellectual free-raider” who made sure he “always lived to fight another day”. My mentor was a self-proclaimed […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Teachers Have Known This for Years: A Generation Hollowed Out
America, Circa 2021 Young Americans are starting back to school in a few weeks and they are in trouble. Deep trouble. After almost a quarter-century teaching at a public high school, I never imagined I would write a book ominously titled, Hollowed Out: A Warning About America’s Next Generation. But, to be blunt, American school teachers have […]
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Post Pandemic Education: The Transition Back to Brick and Mortar
As a high school teacher, I already struggled with trying to get freshmen out of the “middle school mentality” long before this pandemic. Now, we have a new generation of students who not only have never set foot in our high school but ones who have missed out on that crucial transition period where they […]
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To Mask Or Not To Mask? Wear the Mask; Protect our Kids
Since nearly the beginning of this pandemic, the very idea of masks has been politicized. A study, Politicizing the Mask analyzed demographic and voting data to confirm what many of us could conclude anecdotally. States and areas that supported Trump are significantly less likely to wear a mask. We can now see this playing out […]
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Post-Pandemic Education: What Worked Well with Distance Learning
“The best teachers are like hip-hop producers: study the classics, select the best parts, then add some new flavor” (Chris Emdin, Professor/Author). This quote sums up my journey into distance learning very well. I was fortunate to have some experience in online education, having used it at the college level, but I was not prepared […]
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Reimagining Education-Community Not Classroom
“Mr. Dean, I wanna stay in here,” is the highest praise one can hope for from students. Teaching is often a thankless job, but students’ desire to prioritize being in your class rather than any other class is not something to take lightly. When considering what makes students want to stay in one’s class, I […]
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Hey Teachers, It’s July; How Are Y’all Doing?
Although I reside in upstate New York, my family from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has been visiting, so I appropriated y’all into my vernacular. (Please forgive my misuse of this enjoyable phrase.) For most teachers, July is the golden, sacred month that school does not touch. Many schools across the country end in May or June […]
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The American Myth of Justice for All & Critical Race Theory
2021 seems to be the year of parent engagement. Parents all over the states are advocating for or against teachers utilizing Critical Race Theory in class. Some parents view Critical Race Theory as a method to offer a more transparent and equitable education. Other parents view Critical Race Theory as problematic, as it may make […]