More Than Anything, I #LoveTeaching for the Relationships We Build Along the Way

When I divulge to strangers that I am a high school English teacher, I am typically met with skepticism. “You teach teenage brats all day?…

Our Students Don’t Need to Be ‘Fixed,’ But We Can Heal Together

I’m sitting in my classroom, hunched low in my comfortable teacher chair. The lights are off. I’m rubbing my eyes and my temples in an…

I Will Never Again Teach at a School Without Dedicated Mentoring Time for Students

For many educators, January is a time to return to our jobs revived and renewed after the holiday season. For teachers at Rhodes Junior High…

Here’s Why My Heart Grew Three Sizes While Doing Cafeteria Duty

You know that iconic scene in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original, not that abominable remake) when the narrator says, “Well, in Whoville they…

Not Everything Of Value in Education Can Be Captured By a Number

WHAT WE GOT RIGHT: In trying to capture the story of a decade in education, the temptation is to focus entirely on what can be quantified, from test scores to funding. In looking at these numbers, it can be easy to fall into the trap of focusing exclusively on what has gone wrong in schools.…

A Teacher Asked About My Child’s Hopes and Dreams and It Changed Everything

As a child in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, I did not have a good experience in school. My teachers did not understand my ADHD, and I…

This School Hired the ‘Best Person’ for the Job and Ended Up With a 75% Black Male Teaching Staff

As he moves around his seventh grade math classroom, Aurum Preparatory Academy (“Aurum Prep”) teacher, Salif Doubare, is crackling with energy. He’s tall, thin, wearing…

What You Think You Know About Restorative Justice Is Probably Wrong

On Monday, we ran a piece written by a mother whose experience with restorative justice was a horror story. Readers responded in large numbers to the piece,…

Pardon My Grumpy Appearance, Kids. This Year I’ll Show You More Mr. Nice Guy

I think we all know, or we had better, that the old advice of, “Don’t smile until Christmas,” is just bad. In most classrooms, thankfully,…

Here’s How Teachers Can Help All Students Thrive, Even After Trauma

Fall has always been my favorite season. Having the opportunity to join hundreds of educators at the recent LEAP InnovatED Summit, just days before most…