To my surprise, I woke up 15 weeks ago and found myself pregnant for the third time in my teaching career. After plenty of thought and discussion, my husband and I decided to embrace this surprise blessing. There is a lot to consider when a surprise like this comes up. We already have two beautiful […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
What Teachers Need From Instructional Coaches
Have you ever thought about the role of instructional coaches? There are various models and expectations that instructional coaches have across different school districts. According to one school district, a few job descriptors for an instructional coach include: working with teachers to provide research-based instruction based on the school improvement plan and model effective instructional […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Teacher Empowerment: Fight the Powers that Be
You gotta go for what you know To make everybody see, in order to fight the powers that be -Public Enemy Public Enemy’s song, “Fight the Power,” was a call to action in the late 1980s for African-American communities (and beyond) to get more political and take a stand against the “powers that be.” When […]
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Nipsey Hussle’s STEMulus Package
He was different. From the beginning, his mindset wasn’t on diamonds, cars, and clout. He was more focused on the condition of his people. When interviewed as a young up and coming artist, he made it shockingly clear that he was not like other hip-hop artists. His first ever interview, in 2006 with Davey D, […]
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Covering is Not Teaching: The Case for Explicit Instruction
“I covered that unit.” “We talked about the vocabulary words.” “I touched on grammar last week.” “We went over the test.” “We did an activity on that.” “We went through the discussion questions.” These common phrases by some teachers are, unfortunately, becoming all too common. Our verbiage as educators is powerful and also an interesting […]
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An Open Letter to Bill and Melinda Gates: What Students Really Need
Dear Bill and Melinda Gates, I’m not one to dismiss those willing to help, and I have a tendency to believe the best in people until proven wrong. You certainly use your money to do a lot of good, so I have to believe you want good outcomes for public school students. I’m just waiting […]
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No Kidding: Making April Fools’ Day Educational
Yes, you read the title correctly. April Fools’ Day can actually be educational! Typically, around this time, articles and ideas circulate providing teachers with ideas on how to prank their students and colleagues. You’ll see posts and videos of teachers trying their best to outwit their students on this day. While it is great to […]
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Spring Fever: Teachers, Take Care of Yourself.
The weather is warming up. The trees are blooming. The days are longer. Spring is in full effect. Most school districts here in Georgia are gearing up for Spring Break in the next week or so. If you’re not in the school system, you don’t really understand the great need for teachers (and students) to […]