As adults in a time of crisis, we turn to familiar sources. I find myself these days interested in the efforts of South Korea, in the singing balconies of Italy, and in the ways in which different nations have dealt with the virus. It helps me to interpret what is happening around me, and what […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Opinion: After Trump, Civics Can NEVER Be the Same
I received a powerful but simple text message from my state assemblyman hours after the January 6th siege on the National Capitol: “Your job as a civics educator has never been so important.” [bctt tweet=”“Your job as a civics educator has never been so important.”” username=””] I couldn’t agree more. And yet, for legions of […]
Posted inOpinion
Dear Betsy, Thanks for the Memories
Dear Betsy, I heard you resigned today because of all the bad things the president said at his insurrection party. You just finally had enough, huh? Hey don’t worry, I agree with you. It wasn’t pretty. My students think so too. In fact, we didn’t like Trump’s rhetoric either. I guess we just noticed […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
How Covid-19 Has Changed Public Education Forever, But Not Everyone Has Gotten the Memo
There was no way to know precisely how the world would change when the novel virus Covid-19 began to take hold globally. Economies were shut down, many people lost their jobs, people got sick, people died, national lockdowns went into effect, and schools closed three months early in March 2020. Common Core is no Longer […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Teaching During a Global Pandemic: Addressing Hunger, Homelessness, Abuse, Neglect, and Equity in Education.
Never before has education been so uncertain and inconsistent in the states. Schools have always varied in their effectiveness, equity, and opportunity in every state and every county. This year, however, every school experience will look different, and every child will struggle with different things. Pressure mounts for parents to provide their child with expensive […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
How Do I Explain America To My Students Tomorrow?
January 6, 2021 Americans woke up on the morning of January 6, 2021, learning that Georgia elected its first African-American Senator–a historic event only to be overshadowed by thousands of Americans storming the Capitol building in the afternoon. On my commute home, my mother-in-law, a retired social studies teacher, texts me: “Protestors have invaded the […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
Finding the Gold in Each of our Students in a Virtual Setting
Melissa Childs is an Instructional Coach and a Special Education teacher at Salmon River Middle School in Fort Covington, NY. Melissa is a School District Leader certified and is currently working toward her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership. A reporter once asked Andrew Carnegie how he had been able to hire 43 millionaires. Carnegie responded that […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
A Canary in the Coal Mine: The Truth We Need to Remember Post-Pandemic About Virtual Schooling
Education these days feels a bit like science fiction, doesn’t it? When I think of my students and my own daughter learning virtually, I wonder if anyone else is remembering Keanu Reeves’ character Neo in The Matrix? If you aren’t much into the science fiction genre, just picture a man plugged into a computer while […]