If social media can be counted on for anything, it is reliable in the ability to tick me off and throw me into a spiral of rage-induced overthinking. The most recent spark came from a simple meme stating, ” I read today that in Denmark, empathy is taught as a school subject. We really should […]
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Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The effects of holistic review on college admissions
COVID-19 swept the globe in 2020, resulting in the most profound disruption in the history of education through widespread school closures. Although the full extent of its effects continues to be understood, the immediate consequence on student learning was evident as we quickly recognized the shortcomings of remote learning. Studies consistently show the pandemic led […]
Posted inSocial Justice
Understanding Ramadan: A Classroom Teacher’s Guide
This year in mid-March, approximately 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide will be observing the holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the lunar Islamic calendar, which begins the morning after sighting the last sliver of a crescent moon before a new moon and lasts for 30 days. The observance of Ramadan is deeply […]
Posted innews
Innovative charter schools arrive in Montana, but not without a fight
In January of 2024, the Montana Board of Public Education approved the creation of nineteen public charter schools. These schools address a variety of needs, from multilingual students in Bozeman to teacher recruitment and retention in my district in Great Falls. HB 549, which was sponsored by former school administrator turned legislator Dr. Fred Anderson, […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
Abbott Elementary and the amazing portrayal of Black male educators
As Black History Month comes to a close, I would be remiss if I didn’t share my thoughts with the world about the global phenomenon that is Abbott Elementary and the amazing portrayal of Black male educators on the show. A Thank You Letter to Quinta Brunson and Tyler James Williams, Every Wednesday night millions […]
Posted innews
Colorado overhauls student funding model for K-12 schools
In Colorado, the ways public schools are funded has changed with a new proposal aimed at overhauling the student funding formula in the 2024- 2025 fiscal year. These new changes were spurred by Senate Bill 23-287, which increased the statewide base per pupil funding, set a new statewide base per pupil funding, and set the […]
Posted inBack to School
Using Thrity Umrigar’s novels to tackle summer reading apathy
One way I suggest engaging eleventh and twelfth-grade readers — especially for summer reading assignments — involves assigning modern novels outside of the traditional canon. Two books by Thrity Umrigar, The Space Between Us (2005) and Honor (2022) created a high level of engagement in my AP English Literature students at the onset of the […]
Posted inEnglish Language Learners
How to Navigate Censorship in a High School English Classroom
At a faculty meeting, a colleague once whispered to me, “So, what do you actually do in your English class if everyone already knows how to read and write?” Though it was an innocent enough question from a chemistry teacher, it brought me to the halting realization that the abstract nature of a high school […]