Black History Is American History and Should Be Celebrated All Year Long

As a Minnesotan, February is a signal that the warmth of spring is so close yet so far away (seriously, last Thursday the high was two…

3 Tips for Talking With Your Students About World Events

The news has been quite sensational lately. As teachers, oftentimes, our first instinct is to hide the news under the guise of “protecting” our students…

When Disney’s ‘Frozen II’ Represents Indigenous Peoples Better Than Elementary Schools, There’s a Problem

As I sat with my 7-year-old daughter and her friends in a movie theater for a showing of “Frozen II,” I was fascinated. No, it wasn’t…

We Can Tell the Truth About Thanksgiving to Our Preschoolers, Too

Since urging my preschool to eliminate Columbus Day from the school calendar, I continuously contemplate how to teach about Native Americans, and especially Thanksgiving, in the…

Stop Spreading Lies About Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is upon us—in the air, in the trees, in the longer nights and anticipation of a long weekend. But also, in the grocery stores…

How to Teach About Impeachment Without Pissing Parents Off

Times are tough for social studies teachers. We are living in a historic moment no matter which side of the aisle, but teaching controversial and…

Here’s How You Can Talk About Christopher Columbus in Your Classroom

When I invite teachers to rethink how they teach Columbus at our semiannual UnColumbus Day Symposium in Philadelphia, many teachers think it’s not for them.…

We Can’t Just Teach About Heroes and Holidays and Call It Culturally Responsive

In a recent training on culturally responsive teaching, I was introduced to a theory called the “Stages of Multicultural Transformation.” It goes something like this.…

The Suffragettes Were Not Allies to Black Women, They Were Racist

This week America celebrated the 99th anniversary of the 19th Amendment’s passage, which granted women the right to vote. However, like much of American history,…

We Can Teach Black History and LGBTQ History at the Same Time. In Fact, We Should.

My social media feeds were drenched with homophobia this week. People were saying how they really felt about my state, Illinois, joining other states mandating…