Guest Writer: Jheanell Lumsden Dear Teacher of Color, You’re about to begin a new school year, and as a teacher of color, you know that our teaching experiences are vastly different from our white counterparts. Each academic year can feel like an even steeper uphill battle, and we may end up even more emotionally and […]
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Posted inHigh School
The Great American School Shuffle
I am a bit of an eavesdropper. When I hear the word school uttered in a conversation near me, I perk up. Like a prairie dog popping out of its hole, my neck lengthens, and I turn my head towards the speaker. My nosey nature concerning talk of education has led me to two observations: A majority […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
“This is NOT a Drill: Back To School is REAL!”
About a week or so before your summer comes to an end, feelings of sadness, anxiety, and uneasiness start to set in. Summer is coming to an end and all of the memes about how great it is to have summers off are fading into the distance. If your summer was good, you’ll smile at […]
Posted inBack to School
How to Prepare for Your Best Year Yet (Self-Care Edition)
As I walk in Target (for no reason at all) to mindlessly scroll the candles, I am stopped in my tracks. I can’t believe what I’m seeing! The colorful, seasonal display for Back to school is set up. All I can do is shake my head at the reality that summer is ending (particularly here […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Why Your School Doesn’t Need to Adopt a “Social-Emotional Curriculum”
Curriculum adoption is a persistent conversation education. Schools and districts continuously evaluate new programs and texts to best support teaching and learning. School districts adopt curriculums often on a predetermined, cyclical timeline. Veterans teaching the same grade levels or subject areas for decades are learning new practices and methods, regardless of their history of student […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Why Your Teachers Are Quitting: Did You S.A.T.?
Dear Administrators, Please listen to your heart. You’ve been wondering why your teachers keep quitting. You keep losing teachers. Transfers, resignations, and complaints keep coming your way. You’re concerned about not just your job, but about the person you’re putting on display causing others to run the other way. Before blaming your teachers, let me […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
What a Teacher’s Summer Really Entails
The temperatures are increasing. Neighborhood pools are cleaned and opened on this past Memorial Day weekend. End-of-the-year checklists have been signed and classrooms are prepared for cleaning. The final bell has rung and the last dismissal of the school year is underway. Summertime is here!!! After an intense year, teachers rejoice when the last bus […]
Posted inNew Teacher Bootcamp
A Letter to Myself as a First Year Teacher
Dear First Year Teacher…Me, Remember when you said you would NEVER step foot into a classroom and teach? Jokes on you! Your life is going to be forever changed from this moment on. From the moment you step into that classroom, you are a teacher. You’ll wake up every morning, tired from lesson planning and […]