Coffee Break: New Mexico’s Teacher of the Year Jessica Sanders on What Brought Her to Teaching and Why She’s Staying

Once you become a Teacher of the Year, your life changes. I recently had a chance to talk with Jessica Sanders on becoming the New…

These 4 Tips Can Help Students Learn From Their Mistakes

When we learn to ride a bicycle, we make mistakes along the way, as we figure out the proper balance and speed needed to keep…

Let’s Put The Science of Reading in Teachers’ Hands, So Kids Aren’t Left Behind

Several years ago, I found myself a parent of a struggling reader. My son was attending a very well-regarded NYC public school, but the teachers…

If You’re a Teacher in a Turnaround School, You’ve Got a Friend in Me

I recently spent a weekend with two elementary school teachers. I was not there because I was from their school or even their state—I was…

No Teacher Should Be an Island

I didn’t quite understand what it meant to be an “island” until I started teaching eight years ago. For years, I was the only United…

On the First Day We Teach Them to Tie Their Necktie, But It’s So Much More Than That

“This is the moment when you really become a high school student at Boston Prep. This is the moment when you learn to tie a…

My Science Teacher Told Me I Wasn’t Going to College. Good Thing I Didn’t Believe Him.

I grew up in East San Jose, where I attended our local traditional public schools. In elementary school, I received many awards for my academic…

I’m an Immigrant and a Student and My Voice Matters

When I was about 7 years old, I immigrated to the United States from Mexico. It was 2008 and I arrived in New York City…

This School Used to Be a Kmart

In early August, Entrepreneur High School—a state of the art charter school in Highland, California—opened its doors in what was once a Kmart store. Completely…

Their Mom Always Said They Would Go to the University of Chicago, and That’s Exactly What These Twin Sisters Did

Growing up, Olivia and Aliyah Singleton frequently heard their mother’s prediction: “You’re going to go to the University of Chicago.” “I would just shake my…