Guest Writer: Maya El-Darzi Maya El-Darzi has a bachelor’s degree in both political science and history, as well as a master’s degree in history and teaching. Maya currently teaches World and US History at a local high school. Security guards, cameras, and inflexible discipline codes – these elements constitute the zero-tolerance behavioral policy schools have […]
school to prison pipeline
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Microaggressions to Misbehavior: How School to Prison Pipeline Begins
Wow, I’m surprised he did so well on the test. He’s not ghetto like those other boys. She’s so loud. They don’t care. They can’t read. They’re just lazy. Microaggression: a comment or action that subtly and often unconsciously or unintentionally expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group (such as a […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Opinion, Social Justice
Police, Black Students, and Teachers
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched the video clip of Ben Fields, Richland County (SC) school resource officer, where he picked up a young lady (who was black) and pulled her from her chair. I’ve done so because it astounds me that this situation occurred in our schools, but what also stuns […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Social Justice
Empathy: The Missing Link in the Classroom
Empathy, for me, was always one of the best ways to handle classroom management and even more serious incidents. Empathy was what allowed me to never take anything a student did or said personally. Recently it seems that lack of empathy is causing actions by students that are either disruptive or perceived as disruptive to […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Opinion
When a Student Won’t Leave the Room
“Give me your phone now!” I demanded to the Lisette* as I attempted to quiet my noisy class after the first-period bell stopped ringing. Glaring at me over the rim of her glasses, Lisette* emphatically replied, “No”. Frustrated, I hit the buzzer to our discipline office. The other kids quieted down to witness the showdown- anything […]