The PBS Kids show “Arthur,” which began in 1996, recently aired an episode in which Arthur’s teacher, Mr. Ratburn, marries his partner who turns out to be a man. Although this isn’t the first children’s program with openly gay characters, it got me thinking: if there are increasing numbers of LGBTQ+ characters in children’s television, […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
How to Use This Year’s Reflections for Next School Year
The end of the year for a teacher is especially difficult: everyone is tired, the kids are off the rails, there are a plethora of special events going on, and grades are due. Many of us are holding onto our sanity like a life raft. The last thing many people want to think about is […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Columbine Shooting 20 Years Later – Our Children Are Still Dying
Columbine occurred when I was still in the classroom. My heart broke for those who lost their lives as well as those who survived and had to live with the trauma. I remember being asked by friends if I was going to school the next day. I didn’t hesitate to say yes. Most of them […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The Motivation Myth
Summer for teachers has arrived! While you may be imagining my days are spent lounging by the pool sipping cocktails (don’t get me wrong, I will make that happen eventually), the implication of summer break for me at this point means professional development. Summer professional development takes a variety of forms, from workshops to podcasts […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Unpopular Opinion: Hooded Sweatshirts in the Classroom
My mother was gifted a stuffed Ty bunny at a baby shower before I was even born. Bunny, as I eventually ingeniously named him, was my right-hand man. My partner in crime, my lullaby and my wake up call. When I was sick, Bunny played cards with me. When we went on family vacations, Bunny […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Not All Charter Schools Are The Same
Not all charter schools are evil, corporate, for-profit monstrosities. Again: not all charter schools are the same. Some modern charter schools are operated by for-profit corporations or non-profits who pay their leadership exorbitant salaries. Almost all the common arguments against charter schools are rooted in those corporate models. They are the loudest, but not the […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Whatever It Takes: Story of a Committed Black Teacher
“On me they wont.” That was his response when a student vulnerably shared how his peers would talk about this lack of a haircut. This is the story of Major Jones, an educator in Bibb County Schools who gave that student a free haircut. If you’re a teacher, you know the impact of this act […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
What Grieving is Teaching Me About Patriarchy
Heartbreak My heart was broken this week. I came into work early Wednesday morning to prepare for an instructional walkthrough that wouldn’t happen. As soon as I came into the building, my principal escorted me to a classroom filled with other staff and gave me the news that three of our students had died in […]