Getting Pepper-Sprayed by School Police Shouldn’t Be a Part of My Job

I have only felt the terrible sting and discomfort of pepper spray one time, and that was when I was teaching and coaching teachers in…

Here’s How You Can Prepare Your Children for Remote Instruction

This week, some Indianapolis students will begin the 2020-21 school year. This includes my twin sons. Their district, Washington Township, has decided to reopen remotely.…

I Was the Only Black Teacher, And I Quit My First Job After Six Months

Why would a teacher submit her resignation for her first teaching job out of college in February of that school year? The answer is racism, mistreatment, and…

Educators, Don’t Be Loud in the Streets, But Silent in the Schools

Amid the horror and sadness of the murder of unarmed Black people at the hands of police officers, we are seeing the coming together of…

Teachers, Why Are We Quicker to Call Parents About Kids’ Behavior Than About Their Academic Performance?

Recently, I came across a tweet that resonated with my beliefs: This is problematic. As an educator, I know behavior and academics are linked. Sometimes…

Here’s Why Every Teacher Needs a Mentor

Regardless of your profession, mentorship can be powerful. We need long term teacher mentoring in education. This is one way to improve the quality of…

The Week Before Winter Break Doesn’t Have to Be a Nightmare

One of the hardest weeks of the school year is the week before winter break.  The turn up is real. Students start acting as if…

These Students Let Their Textbook Publisher Know Nobody ‘Needed’ Slavery

Fourth-grade teacher, Laura Wooley, was preparing her students for an upcoming social studies test using a McGraw-Hill textbook. During the course of the review, her…

Using Chosen Names and Pronouns for Students Is Important

If you have been reading my work long enough, you know I am adamant about teachers pronouncing students’ names correctly. A student’s name is part of…

Parent-Teacher Conferences Might Suck, But We Still Have to Show Up

David McGuire, a school leader in Indianapolis, asked the Twitterati this week what does it take to get parents to attend conferences with their children’s’ teachers? I…