As teachers, we know that we accomplish more in the classroom when the basic needs of our students are fulfilled. When students have slept, eaten, and arrived with a baseline of contentment, they are much more likely to engage with the day’s lessons. Feeling safe and accepted can further accelerate engagement-especially for trans or nonbinary youth. […]
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Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Why Transgender Students Need Teachers Who Aren’t Afraid
The battles taking place in the classroom in Virginia are at the core of what it means to be a teacher in American public education today. The debate over mask mandates, the US History curriculum, and how to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ students are all in the news today, with teachers and students in […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Opinion: Fighting Fascism from Our Classrooms
Last week a school board in Tennessee banned Maus, a Pulitzer prize-winning graphic novel about the Holocaust. In Florida, the Governor wants to ban learning experiences that cause “discomfort” to white participants. Across the country, Education Week reports, roughly 1/3 of students are enrolled in districts where “critical race theory” bans are in effect. Collectively, […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Opinion: January 6th is Not Up for Debate
Stephen Colbert famously said, “Facts have a well-known liberal bias.” The satirical statement doesn’t feel as funny in the current era of rampant misinformation and The Big Lie. A year ago today, January 6th, a violent attack on the United States Capitol happened. It was a result of a toxic stew cooked up by Donald […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Organic Diversity is Needed in Schools
People are like plants. They need the proper climate to grow, and no two plants share the exact same ideal for quality conditions. Students are the same in this individual need for a particular climate. Like an Aspen tree planted in the desert of Arizona, we should not expect students to flourish in environments that […]
The Educator’s Room
The Educator’s Room is a diverse, sustainable media brand focused on telling the stories of being an educator. Over the past several years, The Educator’s Room has built a family of sites covering education from the lens of news, technology, entertainment, and teacher mental health. The company runs one conference, the Teacher Self-Care Conference for […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Students Are Coming Back to School: How Can We Engage Them Post-Pandemic?
Back to School: I saw online that hand sanitizer is 70% off at Target, which seems akin to a groundhog poking its head above the soil to marvel at Spring’s arrival. What’s the significance of discounts at Target? Well, a discount on hand sanitizer is symbolic of the pandemic nearing an end. Vaccines were so […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Death and Resurrection: A Time for Repentance and Change Around Race
On an Easter Sunday, decades ago, my pastor baptized me into the faith. I do not exactly remember the words – but to an extent, they were, “buried with Christ in baptism, raised to walk in newness of life.” It is all symbolic of letting go of your past sins and receiving a fresh […]