In a year of challenges, obstacles, and proving our own resilience, social-emotional learning in the classroom is more important than ever. Teachers are burned out by the never-ending changes being thrown their way, while every student is processing recent events in their own way. For some, this can become overwhelming or distracting. Moreover, students are […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inSocial Justice
The Danger of Honors Classes in Our Schools
When it was time to receive teaching assignments for the 2021-2022 school year, our department gathered around our principal in the hallway. The six of us stared back and forth, wondering why she was so excited. Then she said it; she turned to our history teacher and announced that he would teach honors next year. […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Fire the Canon: Curriculum is the Vehicle, Not the Destination
Fire the Canon: Curriculum is the Vehicle, Not the Destination It feels like every year around this time, the English department has a serious discussion about the curriculum. We start with valid PLC questions about key skills and standards at each grade level, but quickly devolve into how we taught specific canonical books and the […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Mental Health Awareness for the Teacher’s Soul
As I begin typing this article, it is 11:00 a.m. on a Wednesday. In April. It’s a school day but I’m currently sitting at my table in my backyard before a thunderstorm arrives. I’m not at school on this school day in the middle of the week because of- ANXIETY. I’ve suffered from anxiety for […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Teachers Don’t Need More Mugs, They Need Respect and Empathy for Teacher Appreciation Week
“I am not a perfectionist, but still I seek perfection. I am not a great romantic, but yet I yearn 4 affection” (Tupac Shakur). Teacher Appreciation Week is near, and teachers want respect and empathy. No matter the profession, everyone wants to feel valued, to know that someone appreciates their efforts, and to think that […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
I’m an Educator in Canada and I want the COVID-19 Vaccine
I’m sitting in my office at home, after a day of teaching online, and I just tried to book my vaccine appointment, only to realize that since I don’t live in a hotspot, I’m not eligible. However, I want the vaccine. I have wanted it for months, and I knew that as soon as they […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Can We Talk About Inclusion for Autistic Educators?
. Hi, I am a teacher, and I am autistic. I am new to public education in the realm of elementary school. I have 15 years of experience as a preschool teacher, but I recently changed careers because I wanted to teach elementary-aged students. Can we take a minute to talk about inclusion for autistic […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Opinion: Two Men in Uniform: The Lessons Black Educators Have to Teach Students
Two men in uniform. One with visible hands raised in an effort to avoid any “misunderstandings”, and the other literally holding the other’s life at the end of the chamber in his gun. One clearly serving his country and one perpetuating the stereotype so many hold about law enforcement officers. As the daughter of a […]