The System Is Not Built for Teachers to Have an Opinion

At the close of the 2020-2021 school year, I experienced the most significant “break-up” of my life. The following is my unexpected farewell to teaching…

I Managed the Stress of Teaching This Year by Reminding Myself That I Work With Adults, but for My Students

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. If there’s one thing we know for certain, this school year has been difficult for everyone. I recently caught…

For Teacher Appreciation Week, Let’s Give Teachers Something They Really Want

I wanted to write the standard feel-good piece for Teacher Appreciation Week. I really did, but it just felt inauthentic. Don’t get me wrong. I…

9 Tips for Helping Your Students Become Activists

A critical part of education includes responding to the problems around us. We can do that in many ways in our schools and our classrooms.…

Following the Chauvin Trial Is Traumatic. Don’t Turn Away.

When we bear witness, when we become the situation—homelessness, poverty, illness, violence, death—the right action arises by itself. We don’t have to worry about what…

Teachers Legally Hitting Students as a Disciplinary Measure Has to Stop

Here’s a familiar scene: You are attending a professional workshop about America’s school-to-prison pipeline. The gray-suited speaker concludes his presentation to thunderous applause, and yet,…

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…

My Teacher Didn’t Know How To Be Culturally Responsive, But These Standards Will Help the Next Generation of Teachers

When I was eleven, my teacher divided our class into groups of four to complete a project on the United States Constitution. The three other…

To the People Pushing Back on Culturally Responsive Teaching During Black History Month

A war has been waging in my home state of Illinois, and the battle lines have been drawn. In one corner of the ring—the “uber…