Mental Health

It’s Time To Break the Discipline Cycle and Invest in Student Supports
While we continue to struggle to figure out how to educate students 12 months into the global pandemic, we cannot afford to lose sight of…

We Have No Idea What This Year Has Been Like for Our Kids
One year ago, my now-kindergartener left his bustling and diverse transitional kindergarten classroom with sensory learning areas designed for academic and social skills development to…

Black Students Are Not ‘Marginalized,’ They Are the Center of Our Work
So many headlines these days are about how Black students are “falling behind” during the pandemic. They’re “missing” and “lost.” But the truth is, Black…

Reopening Schools Requires More Than Vaccines, Students Need Trauma-Informed Education
Why is trauma-informed education not on the agenda at today’s National Safe School Reopening Summit? U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona plans to host panels…

I’m Telling My Story So My Female Students Never Feel Powerless Like I Did
I am a firm believer that in order to become an anti-oppressive educator and advocate, one must fully understand the nature of oppression. While finishing…

After a Year of Teaching Dangerously, We Found a New Appreciation for School
This year has been the ultimate educational experiment. For years the question has loomed: Given a strong curriculum, can students learn just as effectively online…

In a Virtual Setting, Let Your Students Make the Rules on Cameras
Mention cameras during distance learning and you’ll instantly evoke passion, stress, and even fear, in teachers and students alike. Last month, I listened as a…

With Remote Learning, the Issues Go Deeper Than Lack of Internet
Right now—literally, as I’m sitting here typing—I’m watching my friend toggle between distance learning with her son and responding to work emails. It’s the most…

Books Are Essential Tools to Help Children Manage Grief
With more than 200,000 COVID-related deaths nationwide since March, and with the knowledge from a recent Kaiser Family Foundation study that the COVID infection rates…

How to Help Kids Cope With COVID and Back to School Stress
In a year like none other, going back to school—usually a well-established, streamlined process marked by ordered checklists and cheerful first-day photos—has been a long…