I debated whether to encourage my sophomore Global History students to watch President Trump’s address on Tuesday, January 8, 2019. Since 2016, it has been difficult to navigate how to incorporate civics and current events into my social studies classroom. I desire student awareness, but I am concerned that any discussion of his speech, or […]
Search results
Posted inSocial Justice
10 Teacher Resolutions for 2019
Happy 2019! I know that for most teachers the “new year” begins on the first day of teaching in either August or September. However, the calendar does not lie–2018 is history–it’s January 2019, the midpoint of the teaching year, which offers an opportunity for reflection. In my school district the year 2020 is the focus year […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Teacher Attendance Does Matter, but I Still Unapologetically Take Days Off at My School
Yesterday, my fellow Indy K12 writer David McGuire Wrote, “Teacher Attendance Matters.” As a school principal, I know he is under pressure to ensure his students receive the best education. The heart of his piece was to emphasize how teacher absences can bring challenges to schools including student achievement. Teaching is one of the professions […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
[Opinion] Grade Inflation is Making Teachers Quit
By: Guest Writer So, I am sitting here in my classroom fretting about the legal and ethical ramifications of grade inflation. You see, in my present school, the administration has insisted that even if a child sits idle all year, never having handed in one anecdotal artifact to demonstrate mastery, I should enter a grade […]
Posted inSpecial Education
The Importance of Communication For IEP Students and Parents
I realize that I am a little on the eccentric side. I like it there, without the boundaries and regiment of the real world. And since I see things from a different perspective than most I also enjoy some things that many teachers find to be less enjoyable. One of those things is IEP meetings. […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
[Opinion] Barack Obama: A Role Model for Teachers and Students
America and the World Today It has been a difficult week for America and the world. American leadership in the world seems to be collapsing as nations considered to be our allies are criticized and nations thought to be adversarial are applauded as friends. The old world order established after World War II where the […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
If You Want to Survive, Find Your Teacher Tribe
When you watch movies about high school, everyone falls into a group or has a label. Me, I was the blerd (black nerd) and the loner. I had a few friends and that was by choice, and most often I preferred to keep to myself and be alone. I maintained this behavior throughout college and […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
Affirmative Action at the Crossroads: Which Direction will the Supreme Court Go?
Affirmative Action: Remedy or Racist? Recent actions by the Trump Administration and the pending resignation of Anthony Kennedy from the Supreme Court have brought into question the status of affirmative action, the set of federal policies instituted by John F. Kennedy to counteract centuries of discrimination against specific minorities in American society. Affirmative action was […]