Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism!It’s no surprise that teachers are burnt out. The only word that comes to mind is, “Duh.” Recently, I have been thinking about teaching, pandemic notwithstanding, and how it got this way. How has this profession normalized working well after […]
Opinion
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
I’m an Ohio Educator Against HB 327
Ohio House Bill 327 Would Outlaw “Divisive” Concepts in Schools, Shred the Community Fabric Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! When my son was in the first grade, he came home from school and said, “I hate myself.” When I asked why, he said it […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Seven Women Who Shaped My Teaching
A Teacher’s Celebration of Women’s History Month Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! March is Women’s History Month. My spouse recently asked me, as we were talking about Women’s History Month, which women had most influenced my life. When I told him my biggest influences […]
Posted inOpinion
You Don’t Hate Teaching, You Hate the System
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! In December 2020, I wrote an essay, “You Don’t Hate Teaching, You Hate Your School“. Though it was only a little over a year ago, so much has changed since then. At the time I was working in a […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines
Teachers, Embrace Your Worth
When this pandemic hit, the closing of schools sent a ripple across America. Parents got a glimpse of what life might be like as a teacher. Amplify that feeling by a factor thirty to forty to equal teaching in a classroom, and they might begin to understand why it is so important to show teachers […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
The Dismantling of Public Education Part 4: Regression
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was murdered in the street by Officer Derek Chauvin. This event (and the murder of Ahmaud Arbery) ultimately led to widespread protests around racial justice in America. For educators, this signaled the need for another […]
Posted inHistory
History Matters in Schools. Here’s How I Taught it in my English/Language Arts Classroom
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! Early in my teaching career, I attended a challenging and eye-opening conference on Holocaust education hosted by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. I had taught Holocaust literature since the beginning of my career, anchoring most of my Holocaust units in […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
The Dismantling of Public Education Part 3: Privatization
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! Regardless of your opinions on school choice and voucher programs, the conversation around dismantling public education cannot ignore their role. Partly a product of a charter school myself (and later a public school teacher), I take the privatization of […]