Discussing White Privilege in an All-White Class Is Uncomfortable. Do It Anyway.

With so many pressing education issues on our collective agenda, it is important that we don’t ignore the national conversation on race that erupted during…

I’m Empowering My Students to Lead Conversations About Race

In late September, I began my class with my usual prompt: Is there anything in the news you’d like to share? My students would generally…

Kids Need Remote Learning to Be Culturally Relevant, Too

Last spring, amidst the uprisings following the immediate failure to bring any sort of justice for George Floyd’s murder, I received a Google Hangout video…

I Hope I Never Lose Another Student to Suicide

“I’m going to end it!” Unsure of what I heard, I questioned back, “End what?”  Her response was, “My life!” This brief encounter led to…

Yes, White Teachers Still Need to Be Ready to Talk to Students About Race

“What’s the difference between a killing and a lynching?” The question popped up on my phone through the Google Hangouts app I installed in March.…

Faced With a Global Pandemic, My Students Have Grown in New Ways

As school wrapped up this last year, several of my students joined my online “office hours” not seeking out help with the content, but instead…

We Need a Stronger Commitment to Recruit and Retain Teachers of Color

The current global pandemic has challenged the concept of America’s exceptionalism. As we struggle with COVID-19, we are also uncomfortably grappling with the vestiges of slavery…

Let’s Stand Up for Justice and Take Police Officers Out of Our Schools

If I had a teacher like you, I don’t think I would be here. Why do you say that? Because you care. I will never…

George Floyd Is Proof America Needs More Black Teachers

America, 2020: A Black man is recorded being killed in broad daylight by a White police officer trained to “protect and serve.” As videos and…

My Students Want to Learn, But They Don’t Have Access to the Internet

As an educator, I learned early on that relationships are key to learning. I’ve always genuinely looked forward to coming to school, greeting my students…