Teachers, I Hate Feedback as Much as You, but Sometimes We Need to Hear It

Once, many years ago, I was arguing with a colleague. I have no idea what we were arguing about. I am sure, however, that I…

We Can Unleash the Genius of Our Students by Putting the Arts at the Center

This essay is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Patrick Pritchard from Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia, who recently passed away on March 6, 2021.…

We’re Not Even Close To Realizing Dr. King’s Dream

Two years ago I was fortunate enough to attend a showing of “Hamilton” in my hometown of Atlanta. A huge group from Atlanta Public Schools…

I Can’t Expect Some Magical Black Character to Declare Me ‘Good White People.’ I Have to Do the Work.

It was a year ago that I tried sweet potato pie for the first time. Now, I am white and, though I have lived in…

ZIP Code May Not Be Destiny, But It’s as Hard to Fight as Gravity

One Saturday I was picking my daughter up from a birthday party at one of those modern-day upscale arcades, and I was surprised to run…

We Can’t Return to Status Quo When This Pandemic Is Over

Just by way of introduction, let me begin this post the way I have begun most conversations in the past month: I am both exhausted…

Teaching During COVID-19 Is Both a Gift and a Curse. Hear Me Out.

I took a course earlier this year called “Innovation in Education” and the first thing we all acknowledged was that education is the one industry…

Three Ways to Foster a Love of Reading in Students With Disabilities

When it comes to literacy, how do we help our students with learning disabilities thrive? The research is clear: Vanessa Chratian, a special education reading…

How Do We Bring Magic Into the Classroom? Georgia’s New Teacher of the Year Shows the Way.

For 2020 Georgia Teacher of the Year Tracey Nance Pendley, the road to teaching was not easy. Pendley’s mother was a drug addict who was…

If We Want to Retain and Recruit Teachers, We Have to Walk It Like We Talk It

I have attended a lot of educator conferences this year. A common theme I heard over and over again is the challenge of teacher shortages.…