Last year I revisited James Baldwin’s “A Talk to Teachers” before starting the school year. I encouraged myself and other teachers committed to social justice to “go for broke.” I did lots of work I felt proud of in our classroom last year, working with our 5th graders to understand, analyze, and combat racism. They culminated […]
social justice
Posted inInstructional Strategies
Teaching Your Way through Controversy: Responding to Kaepernick’s Stance
Even elementary students are talking about the Nike deciding to sponsor former Quarterback Colin Kaepernick. So, how do you respond as an educator and model of critical thinking? It’s no easy task when you are likely to hold a strong opinion of your own. Structured Academic Controversy (SAC) is an option when faced with the […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
What Schools Can Learn From Starbucks: Close Public Schools for Racial Bias Training Too
On May 29th, Starbucks will close 8,000 of its stores for racial bias training. This is a response to the arrest of two Black men who were waiting to meet a friend at a location in Philadelphia. It made me wonder, what would it take to close public schools for a similar effort? If an […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
Using Current Events in Teaching the Executive Branch
As an eighth-grade civics teacher, I am about to start my unit of study on the Executive Branch. To be honest, I’m a little scared. Strike that. I am very scared. “Why are you scared, George?” you may ask. “If you stick to the facts, you’ll have nothing to worry about,” In normal times, I’d […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Donald Trump Isn’t the Problem…The U.S. Education System Is
When You Can’t Repeat the President’s Words… Last week The Washington Post reported that Donald Trump had an issue with immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador, and African countries coming to the United States. You probably heard about his choice of language, so I won’t repeat it here. As usual, there was outrage and condemnation from […]
Posted inAdult Learning
[Episode 56] The Politics of Mathematics
In this episode, Franchesca Warren interviews Dr. Toya Jones Frank a Professor of Mathematics Education Leadership and Secondary Education at George Mason University about the politics of mathematics and what kids really need to be successful mathematicians. In this episode, we discuss the following: What are the struggles of mathematics education across the grade levels? […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Stopping Sexual Harassment in Schools: What the #metoo Movement Means For Educators
Over the past few weeks the phrase “#me too,” has appeared countless times on different social media platforms. This movement, spurred by the sexual misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein, a powerful producer in Hollywood, spurred millions of women to share their own stories of sexual harassment and abuse by men throughout their personal and professional […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Secondary Trauma and The Teachers That It Affects
It is 30 days into the school year. So far I have listened to or read stories about my students experiencing homelessness, bullying, deaths of family members, suicidal thoughts, and sexual abuse. These traumatic events weigh down on our students. Unfortunately, as we know, our schools do not have enough mental health supports. If we […]