Over the past few weeks the phrase “#me too,” has appeared countless times on different social media platforms. This movement, spurred by the sexual misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein, a powerful producer in Hollywood, spurred millions of women to share their own stories of sexual harassment and abuse by men throughout their personal and professional […]
Social Justice
Elementary School Resources to Support #Dreamers
Last week Donald Trump made good on yet another one of his campaign threats, and effectively ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program. As you’ve probably already heard, this will end the ability for almost 800,000 young people in the United States to go to work, school, and live, out from the […]
Our Students’ Uncertain Futures: What does the end of DACA mean for teachers?
“Anyone who is in the United States illegally is subject to deportation.” “Mexico will pay for the wall. 100%. They don’t know it yet, but they’re going to pay for the wall.” “Maybe they’ll be able to deport her.” “It’s our right as a sovereign nation to choose immigrants that we think are the likeliest […]
A Talk To Teachers: This School Year, Let’s “Go for Broke”
“We are in a revolutionary situation, no matter how unpopular that word has become in this country. The society in which we live is desperately menaced, not by Khrushchev, but from within. So any citizen of this country who figures himself as responsible-and particularly those of you who deal with the minds and hearts of […]
Social Emotional Learning: Can It Help Our Most Vulnerable Students?
Imagine you have a student who every time they get upset they decide to engage in some negative behavior that totally disrupts your class? Whether the behavior is yelling or banging their head on the desk, there’s an obvious need for a different approach to working with students who come to school with a myriad […]
We Must Teach the Worst of our History; Not Glorify It
As I write this, it’s not yet 24 hours since Charlottesville, Virginia erupted in violence at the hands of white supremacists. What happened there, how we respond to it, and what must happen next is an essential conversation for all Americans, but especially educators. Those white Americans whose reaction was to claim “this isn’t America!” […]
LGBT Perspectives in the Middle School Classroom
There has recently been a lot of buzz around a new short animated film entitled “In a Heartbeat.” I first saw it being shared on Facebook, and since it was posted on July 31st, it has been viewed over 20 million times. If you have not had the chance to view it yet, here is […]
A Comic Book Helped to Inspire the Civil Rights Movement
My school district recently purchased a class set of the March Trilogy, the graphic novel memoir that recounts the experiences of Congressman John Lewis (5th District, Georgia) in America’s struggle for civil rights including the marches from Selma to Montgomery. The comic book-style illustrations are engaging and some may mistake the memoir as something for children. Lewis’s experiences in the […]