When I first entered the classroom at eighteen—as a long-term substitute, a vacancy, a body-to-fill-the-room; so I was hired, so I was told—I carried with me all the freshest and most potent and most upsetting memories of being a student in the same school system. Among them, I remembered how alienating my hunger felt, having […]
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
We should model failure, not just success
I am an educator who is also on the autism spectrum. Throw in a hearing impairment and learning disability, my teaching style is bound to be unique. I also have a Master’s Degree rooted in behavioral science, this leads to a tendency to analyze outcomes. One outcome that was of particular significance came out of […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Why This Teacher Supports Tim Walz as Harris’ VP Pick
Vice President Harris’ choice as Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for a running mate is not even two hours old, and I am celebrating. Why? As a social studies educator, I hope a Democratic victory in November will bring a former teacher’s voice into the Oval Office. It’s my hope that Walz’s influence on education policy […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
When Your School Principal is Mean Jean the Recess Queen
Teaching was my dream job until the new principal/sheriff came to town. As I sit here typing this submission, I am at home because I need a mental health day. I have only been at work 30 days since 12 weeks of FMLA and approximately $15,000 in lost wages due to anxiety and depression. But […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The Bullied Teacher
Bullying has received increased attention in the past few years. Administrations have placed harder and clearer rules against student bullying, clubs, and organizations have formed in schools to address bullying, and legal actions have taken place against students who have bullied other students to the point of self-harm. Bullying, as we well know, can take […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
Coping with the Loss and Grief of a Teacher Bestie
Teacher Bestie: Writing has always been a cathartic vehicle for tumultuous times throughout my life. When I had a catastrophic miscarriage of quadruplets, lost my beautiful grandmother, or lost a decades-long friend who was the absolute kindest soul I knew, I leaned on my faith, my circle of support, and all that I ever learned […]
Posted inOpinion
Leggings At School? Here’s 10 Reasons We Support This Clothing Choice
The debate over uniforms in school is one that resurfaces every fall as parents prepare for back-to-school shopping. Whether your school has a uniform policy or not, chances are they still have some restrictions. The most common restriction is not allowing young girls to wear leggings to school. Dress codes have been around forever and […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
Lebron James’ I Promise School: Test Scores Don’t Always Tell the Whole Story
With the recent headlines about the failing state test scores of students in Lebron James, I Promise school, many point their proverbial “blame and shame” fingers. There is so much to unpack in the negative light painted in the focus on the fact these upcoming eighth graders “hadn’t passed the math portion of their state […]