By: Tory Waggoner I came out to my students as both queer and gender nonconforming while working in a district just outside of Portland, OR. I was not prepared for the backlash I faced from colleagues, students, and parents. I thought in the liberal mecca of the Portland metro area that I would be relatively safe, [...]
Guest Writer By LaToya Morrison The Adjectives Demonstrative adjectives are simply adjectives that are used to modify or describe a noun. Grammatically, they are necessary so that one knows which specific person, place or thing is mentioned. In the context of language and grammar study, demonstrative adjectives are important; however, in the context of teacher [...]
Happy 263rd Birthday Chief Justice John Marshall! On this day little fanfare and even less discussion will center on this national milestone. This is unfortunate, perhaps even a little bit tragic. For when Marshall passed away in 1835 the Liberty Bell was tolled for the last time—in commemorating the sad news the bell was forever [...]
Like fingerprints, each student comes with their own unique perspective; and on top of that, their perspective will also be influenced by social, cultural and political practices. It is this diversity that makes our lives interesting. When we accept that these differences occur, it gives us the ability to learn, to develop our own ideas [...]
Last year I revisited James Baldwin’s “A Talk to Teachers” before starting the school year. I encouraged myself and other teachers committed to social justice to “go for broke.” I did lots of work I felt proud of in our classroom last year, working with our 5th graders to understand, analyze, and combat racism. They culminated [...]