Last summer, I attended an educators’ conference focused on building a positive climate and culture in schools. The conference offered a variety of break-out sessions addressing topics such as engagement, retention, cultural competency, and relationship-building. What are home visits? I quickly noticed “home visits” as a commonly discussed practice at the conference: educators visiting the […]
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Posted inOpinion
Educators Need Safe Spaces Too
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! “Thank you for helping me feel seen.” As educators who advocate for equity in education, some of us might expect this statement from a student. So would it surprise you that this was from a teacher? I recently returned […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Reimagining Education-Community Not Classroom
“Mr. Dean, I wanna stay in here,” is the highest praise one can hope for from students. Teaching is often a thankless job, but students’ desire to prioritize being in your class rather than any other class is not something to take lightly. When considering what makes students want to stay in one’s class, I […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
I Wish My Teacher Knew: Beneath the Surface
In April of 2015, Colorado teacher Kyle Schwartz facilitated a writing activity in her third-grade classroom she called “I Wish My Teacher Knew.” Schwartz prompted students to complete the sentence “I wish my teacher knew…” with their own truths, hoping to understand her students on a deeper level. The activity yielded heart-wrenching responses from “I […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Save the Turtles: A Lesson in Teacher Excitement!
By Guest Writer: Rebecca Linam “Don’t step on the turtles!” Mrs. Hays’ voice rang out across the crowded hallway. A dozen students screeched to a halt with another dozen crashing into them from behind. “What? Where?!” one of them asked, panicked. Mrs. Hays pointed to an empty spot on the tiled floor between her […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Reflections on My First Black History Month
I am forty-four-years-old. I have been a social studies teacher for 23 Septembers. I have been a student of history all of my life. I have cared about civil rights forever. But, before this February, I have never celebrated Black History Month. I am both ashamed of my ignorance and enlightened by this experience–it is […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Teaching: Taking on the Moral Imperatives (Part II)
So now you’re fierce, are you? Fierce like, how? For Part II, I want to talk more about being fierce. It’s not just standing up against the onslaught of union-bashing and data mashing designed to demean teachers. It’s being unafraid to fight for what kids really need And it’s about actively pursuing greater understanding in order […]
Posted inElectives & Special Areas
Whiteboarding Your Way to Relationships
by: DeAna Morgan This was my “first” year in my second high school teaching position. I was super stoked to be building an art department from the ground up again. It’s always a trying and exciting time when you start over because you fear fitting in, finding everything, and getting used to the new groove. […]