In a recent NPR piece interviewing author Alex Wagner, she stated: “I think we do a lot of work in this day and age focusing on the future and on the past….we don’t invest enough in the present.”[i] Wagner was talking about her exploration of her genetic backstory, but the fact is, we focus on […]
students
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
This HS Senior Was Accepted to 149 Colleges. That’s a Problem.
May 1, also known as College Decision Day to Seniors across the country, is right around the corner. This is the day by which Seniors must declare which college they plan to attend next fall. Many students see this day as the culmination of years worth of work, and a significant rite of passage in […]
Posted inOpinion
Artist is Not a Dirty Word
I have been accused of demoralizing our profession by using the word “artist or art” when I refer to teaching. I stand by it. I was an artist before I was a teacher, a mother, or even a wife. Teaching is an art, and I challenge anyone to question it. Yes, we are artists, but […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
10 Thoughts During a Failed Lesson
Thought 1: “I like this lesson” It might not be my best, but I’m satisfied with it. It’s educational. It’s collaborative. There’s some entertainment value. It certainly is important to their lives and what we’ve been previously talking about. It’ll be successful. Thought 2: “What the h*#%! is going on here?!” It doesn’t seem like […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Student Activists Lead the Way
How the Parkland students became those activists Will it be student activists who force political action regarding gun violence in America? Maybe that’s exactly what this country needs. Mere days after the February 14th shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas School in Parkland Florida, Emma Gonzales, one of the student-survivors, was calling out politicians at a […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
Writing in Action: When Students Step Up
In years past, I assigned the following essay topic to some of my junior high students: Can your voice make a difference? I’ve read dozens of essays by students on this topic, and many seem to agree, that alone, one cannot impart change, but together things can be accomplished. Some students cited community efforts led by […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
Understanding the Proposed Education Budget for 2018
In the Spring of 2017, shortly after taking office, Donald Trump proposed an updated budget that could potentially cut education spending by about 13%. With Secretary of Education appointee, Betsy DeVos, along with statements about the Common Core and the budget proposal, many educators and districts are left wondering how these proposed changes will affect […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
In Defense of Middle School
By Sarah Mattie When I tell people I teach middle school (grades 6-8), the response is always the same: “Ugh! They’re the worst! You must be a very special person. I could never do that job.” Please. Stop. I know you mean well. I do. I am making no assumptions about your intent in those […]