Currently, I have twelve 9th graders failing and twelve 11th graders failing. I am still taking late work through tomorrow at midnight. I am taking ANY assignment, even from November. I have allowed them to redo any writing assignment as often as they would like for a higher grade. I have offered tutoring after […]
Opinion
Posted inSocial Justice
Teachers, If You Can’t Tell the Truth, You Might Need a Different Job
What Is “Too Political,” Anyway? There has always been a political line in the classroom, though its definition is becoming increasingly obscure. In 2008, I remember asking my teacher who they voted for, and they demurred, saying it wasn’t their place to say. That’s what I thought teachers were supposed to do. And in some […]
Posted inOpinion
Dear Betsy, Thanks for the Memories
Dear Betsy, I heard you resigned today because of all the bad things the president said at his insurrection party. You just finally had enough, huh? Hey don’t worry, I agree with you. It wasn’t pretty. My students think so too. In fact, we didn’t like Trump’s rhetoric either. I guess we just noticed […]
Posted inResponsive Classroom
Flip That Frown Upside Down – Teaching Like a Stoic
A neighbor complains every time it snows. It doesn’t matter if it’s a feathery amount or a foot — to him, the impediment of snow is too much to handle. He hates the shoveling. He hates the noise of the snowblowers. He hates driving in it. He hates the cold. He hates teleworking. The list […]
Posted inCOVID-19
How the Expiration of Emergency Paid Leave Will Cripple Schools
There are plenty of things we want to put behind us in 2020: the businesses that have struggled, folks who have lost their jobs, and, most notably, the friends and family we’ve lost in the pandemic. One thing we cannot leave behind in 2020 is emergency paid leave, but that is set to happen when […]
Posted inOpinion
That’s Doctor to You: Toxic Sexism & Dr. Jill Biden
Thank you, Joseph Epstein, and The Wall Street Journal, for reminding us that sexism, elitism, and male mediocrity are alive and well. Just in case we had our heads in the protective sand for a moment, Epstein’s bloviation reminds us that America’s women, education systems, and educators, are devalued at every level. Hey, Dr. Kiddo […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
You Don’t Hate Teaching, You Hate Your School
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! In other industries, when someone hates their job they think “it’s time to move on from my company.” The first thought at that point is not “I need to get out of [this career].” But for teachers, when they […]
Posted inOpinion
The F Word: Feminism in 2020
The F Word: Feminism in 2020 I’ll never forget the moment I explained feminism to a freshman boy. In my first year of teaching, a precocious student asked me why I used “Ms.” in my name. My partner and I are committed to each other without the institution of marriage and childless by choice. But, […]