White Teacher, Here’s How You Can Successfully Partner With Black Families

The show was going really well. We were in Pittsburgh, taping a live 8 Black Hands podcast episode at the State of Black Learning Conference,…

It’s OK, You Can Teach For America

In 2013, Sandra Korn, then a senior at Harvard and a contributor to the student newspaper The Crimson, wrote an article telling her peers “Don’t…

Go Slow at the Beginning of the Year So Your Students Can Go Fast Later

Welcome back to a new year of students and teaching! For some of you, this will be your first group of students and they will…

A Teacher’s First Year: The Good, The Bad and the Beautiful

Joining a new school community comes with a unique set of challenges. In addition to the difficulties inherent in any new school year, new teachers…

How Do We Bring Magic Into the Classroom? Georgia’s New Teacher of the Year Shows the Way.

For 2020 Georgia Teacher of the Year Tracey Nance Pendley, the road to teaching was not easy. Pendley’s mother was a drug addict who was…

These 10 Leadership Moves Will Transform Relationships in Your School

I admire teachers who adopt an attitude best summed up by President Harry S Truman, who famously had a sign on his desk that said:…

Got a Co-Teacher? Here’s How to Make That Relationship Thrive.

I liked my classroom space, and I liked it even more when I was the only instructor in the room. At least, that was how…

Don’t Expect Results If You’re Selling Your Students Short With Old Strategies

I teach English Language Arts to high school students in Washington, D.C. All of my students are students of color. While bright and talented, many…

December Can Be Tough. Let’s Bring Empathy and Grace Into Our Schools in the New Year

Everyday moments have the power to transform our thinking around the most important ideas in education. I was stopped cold in my tracks by just…

Strong Student Relationships Aren’t Just Beneficial, They’re Essential

As educators, we have each had the pleasure of teaching at least one “challenging” student. Some of us have had the privilege of educating the…