Relationships Don’t Come Before Rigor, They Go Hand in Hand

I’m a sixth grade teacher grappling with the reality of teaching kids who may not have darkened a school door in over a year. Many…

Now Is Not the Time to Let Down the Students Who Need Us the Most

After the unprecedented global pandemic that disrupted — not one — but two separate school years, educators are finally preparing to welcome students back to…

Here’s How Educators Can Recharge to Prepare for a Successful School Year

The 2021 end-of-year celebrations likely brought a greater sense of accomplishment than normal for educators, students, and families, but we know the last few months…

A ‘Whole Child’ Approach Will Be More Important Than Ever This Fall

With summer here and life as we remember emerges, the open doors and public gatherings herald a return to normal. When it comes to schools…

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…

Our Co-Teaching Relationship Helped Ease the Daily Pressures of Teaching, Even During a Pandemic

It was early March 2020 at Boston Collegiate Charter School in Boston, Massachusetts. We—two seasoned public school educators—were getting ready to wrap up our second…

I’m at My Best When I’m With My Scholars

This past year has been difficult for leaders, educators, students, parents, and activists alike, yet, it seems like they aren’t really discussing how they are…

To Continue My Fight for Educational Equity, I Am Walking in the Steps of My Ancestors

It is hard to describe how it has felt to live in the skin I am in for the past two years. All I can…

A Teacher’s Power to Stop Violence Is Rooted in Relationships

During my 15 years of teaching, I have broken up many fights. I have been hit in the ear so hard that it rang me…

Meet Two Teachers Learning to Center Their Students’ Identities Without Losing Sight of Their Own

Lindsay Singer and Ashley McCall are both third grade teachers at Cesar Chavez Multicultural Academic Center in Chicago. Lindsay teaches mathematics and inquiry. And Ashley…