Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! Last week marked the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 – October 15. While Hispanic Heritage Month may not get as much attention or targeted marketing as other national month-long observances, it is a […]
culture
The Royal Wedding: Why Should We Care? One American Teacher’s Perspective
The news broke this morning: another school shooting, this time in Santa Fe, Texas. I don’t want to think about it. I don’t want to entertain the thought that this most recent massacre is the 22nd school shooting this year. I can’t bear to think that ten more families will be planning funerals and that […]
Consider the Word ‘Respect’
Pet Peeve: Seeing the word ‘respect’ plastered all over a school. I stopped using the word “respect” in my class almost immediately when I entered the classroom 20 years ago; and have been preaching against its use ever since. I have had the opportunity to present classroom management seminars around the country and begin the […]
No One Should be out of Place at the Opera
Right before Spring Break, my third graders took a trip to the Metropolitan Opera to attend a dress rehearsal of Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail. Going to the opera isn’t a normal part of third grade for a lot of New York City students. But thanks to my school’s dedicated music teacher, our third, […]
Why Teachers MUST FIGHT Kim, Katy, & Kanye
We’ve seen this late-night skit too many times before: young Americans being asked simple questions about American history, United States civics, or current events. The people who are captured on camera are usually dumb-founded or give answers that make the audience and/or the questioner laugh (or cry). I used to think it had to be […]
Why Teachers MUST FIGHT Kim, Katy, & Kanye
We’ve seen this late-night skit too many times before: young Americans being asked simple questions about American history, United States civics, or current events. The people who are captured on camera are usually dumb-founded or give answers that make the audience and/or the questioner laugh (or cry). I used to think it had to be […]
Are You at the Wrong School? 10 Questions to Ask Yourself
Dictionary.com defines a school as “an institution where instruction is given, especially to persons under college age.” But a school is so much more than that for a teacher. It isn’t just a structure housing our profession, it’s where we change students’ lives, root for the sports teams, and call a second home. It’s possibly a place […]