It’s a Dangerous Time to Come Out at School. And That’s Why We Must.

Every single teacher reading this needs to come out today. You straight teachers might be asking yourself, “Who me?”  Yes, you.   I invite you…

We Can’t Let Our Love For Our Students Morph Into Low Academic Expectations

I remember the day like it was yesterday. The year was 2013 and I was in the oval office with President Obama to receive an…

Effective School Discipline Starts With Your Classroom Culture

School discipline will always be a hotly debated topic. As an advocate, I have argued for more proactive, inclusionary practices that address prevention rather than…

Your Teacher Voice Is Strong. Use It.

Not everyone who talks about teacher voice really wants to hear it. Take a peek into many schools and this is what you might see.…

If Black Male Teachers Benefit Students, Why Are They Underrepresented?

Two percent and shrinking. It’s a statistic that may seem small enough to be insignificant … until you understand what the number represents. Black males…

Black Male Educators Have Sounded the Alarm, But Will We Listen?

For years, Black males have been underrepresented in P-12 education. While there have been many efforts to diversify classrooms by adding more Black male educators,…

Not to Be a Buzzkill, But Teachers Need a Reminder to Be Nice to Their Students

I couldn’t sleep the other night and found myself doing what any reasonable person would do: I turned to Twitter. There was the usual: President…

First Day Jitters? Teachers Get Them Too!

As I embark on my 15th year in public education, I’m baffled that it still happens to me. After all, this is my 15th “first…

To Support Your LGBTQ+ Students, Love Them and Give Them Someone to Look Up To

Every student deserves a role model with whom they can relate. For many students, literature and curriculum are resources they can use to find role…

Why We Need LGBTQ+ Curricula

In 2018, GLSEN’s national school climate study indicated that 59.5% of LGBTQ students “felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation and 44.6% felt…