Spring break is behind you. One morning, some wisenheimer shouts “Only 25 days of school left!” Even though you have been secretly counting down, you know this is it: the beginning of the crazy year end behavior. The students’ attention begins to diminish, and noise and classroom chaos climb frantically. Here are four steps to […]
effective teachers
Posted inFeatured
Climbing Mt. Everest…Why Do We Do It?
Last week I received a CNN e-mail that stated that ten people were missing and presumed dead due to a major avalanche that occurred on Mt. Everest. My first thought was, “Why do people climb that mountain??!” I don’t get it! Why would people put their life in danger to climb a mountain? Do they do it for […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Mathematics, Social Studies
Mathematics with a Social Justice Agenda?
I attended several sessions on Teaching Mathematics for Social Justice at this year’s NCTM Annual Conference. I noticed similar faces in all of the sessions I selected. This meant that hundreds of other faces had completely excluded this topic as one of value to their pedagogical growth. I started wondering how this important work would […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Middle School, Social Studies
My first day at the Organization of American Historians 2014 Conference in Atlanta
April 11, 2014: I am excited to be at this conference. I am a huge history nerd, so of course going to a conference that helps fulfill that love is nice. I am also an educator so I am interested in how this conference of historians could relate to my and other’s educational practices. My […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Languages, Middle School
Poesía en la clase de Español
“¡Otra vez!” My students were so used to hearing these two words (another time) in between choral recitations of our daily poem that it had unfortunately become a bit sing-song as they mimicked me. Pick your battles; I thought . . . here I stood, in front of 26 eighth graders as we recited a […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Mathematics, Opinion
Math Principles to Actions: An Invitation and a Demand
I heard a refreshing voice today. One that silenced the annoying diatribe I have encountered in the past regarding the mathematics dilemma. (Caution: a moment of personal trajectory coming in 3…2…) As an African-American woman, I am twice marginalized by the discipline of mathematics, and yet access to it has catapulted me to levels of […]
Posted inClassroom Management, High School, How to Fix Education, Middle School, Opinion
The Student Deserving of an "A" (and Other Grading Policies)
When I was in an interview for the job at the school where I now work, one of the questions they asked me was what I thought about the importance of grades. My answer? Grades are merely a tool. They don’t always represent the heart of a child, or the effort that was put forth or where […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Opinion
You Can’t Scare Me I’m a Teacher: The Truth About Lies
We’ve probably all seen those t-shirts or bumper stickers that read, “You can’t scare me, I’m a …..mother/ school nurse/ correctional officer…well in this case, you may want to insert the word “teacher.” Why? The premise to the captivating statement implies that we’ve seen it all, so there’s just no way you can scare us with […]