Setting the Stage It’s Tuesday and I’ve just closed my classroom door so I can eat my lunch. I have pulled apart students in two separate fights already in the first part of the morning and I’ve heard rumors of others happening through the building. My first-period lesson didn’t happen because the technology wasn’t working. […]
covid
Posted inCOVID-19
#PandemicPedagogy: It’s Time to Break Up With This School Year
As the school year comes to a close, it is common for educators to reflect on the last ten months and think about how they’ll make next year even better. But as this whirlwind of a year winds down, many of us have not even an ounce left to give – for reflection, improvement, or […]
Posted inCoronavirus
Reinventing Pandemic Schooling: More than Making Lemonade from LemonsÂ
Dr. Helen Hoffman is a veteran teacher, author, and advocate for better schools. With 30 years of teaching at both the high school and college level, Helen’s mission is to shape the future of education by helping teachers create school experiences that are more engaging, enjoyable, and purposeful than our current ones. Her new book, […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Anniversaries are Testimony: One Year of Pandemic Teaching and Learning
One year.  Just one.  And yet, a year feels like a pivot point. So much sacrificed, rearranged.  Discussing the turning point battles of the second world war with my students had me analyzing the impact of specific dates. I informed my classes: ‘”My grandparents want you to know the importance of December 7, 1941. Your […]
Posted inCOVID
President Biden Pushes For Teachers To Get Their COVID Vaccine Dose By March
As teachers continue to push to be pushed ahead of the lines for COVID-19 vaccines, President Joe Biden said Tuesday that he wants every teacher, school staff, and child care worker in the United States to get at least one shot in March. This comes amidst more guidance that says the schools can safely reopen […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
How Did Students Feel About the Presidential Inauguration? “I Feel Safer Today, Mrs. Brown.”
I have incorporated every presidential inauguration (regardless of who is elected) into my social studies classroom: seven ceremonies and five distinct leaders throughout my tenure. The transfer of power witnessed by adolescents is truly civics education in action.  Every inauguration includes the usual pomp and circumstance, celebrity appearance, and political promises. Although we discussed Lady […]
Posted inCOVID
What Would Be Worth A Staff Professional Development Day? Vaccinations for Texas’ Teachers
Texas’ prioritization plan excludes front-line essential workers from the next tranche of shots, including the state’s nearly 2 million food and agricultural workers, according to the Feeding the Economy trade group. Teachers and school staff, police officers, manufacturing workers, U.S. Postal Service employees, and public transit workers are also among those who are prioritized under […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
How Do I Explain America To My Students Tomorrow?
January 6, 2021 Americans woke up on the morning of January 6, 2021, learning that Georgia elected its first African-American Senator–a historic event only to be overshadowed by thousands of Americans storming the Capitol building in the afternoon. On my commute home, my mother-in-law, a retired social studies teacher, texts me: “Protestors have invaded the […]