Your Voice Matters. Your Students Need You. Speak Up.

I had a classroom with three walls when I first started teaching. A bookshelf separated my classroom from the neighboring one. My students ranged from…

Teachers Are Rightfully Demanding Better for Themselves, But What Are They Bringing to the Table?

Behold, the Chicago model of educator noisemaking has gone national, and now public school teachers have emerged as an indomitable political force using loud, large,…

Effective School Discipline Starts With Your Classroom Culture

School discipline will always be a hotly debated topic. As an advocate, I have argued for more proactive, inclusionary practices that address prevention rather than…

If Your Students Can Relate, They Can Read, So Give Them Culturally Relevant Texts

As a teacher, I know that to get students learning they must first enjoy the idea of learning. Teaching English language arts may seem easy,…

Black and Brown Students Can Learn, But You Have to Want to Teach Them

We complain about what’s wrong with the public education system all the time. Admittedly, I’m probably on the long list of tough critics.  Some of…

Yes, You Can Have a Great First Year of Teaching, Just Ask Chicago’s Asia-Ana Williams

Last year, rookie English teacher Asia-Ana Williams became the poster child for Opportunity Schools, a Chicago Public Schools (CPS) effort to match teacher talent with…

Teachers, If You Want a Say in What Happens at Your School, You Have to Speak Out

Welcome to a new school year! Amidst the busyness of planning and preparing, remember to take a step back and reflect on how you want…

Want to Help All Students Succeed? Here Are 6 Ways to Walk a Mile in Their Shoes

I recently learned that our building had something really cool happen this school year. A local shoe company donated shoes for students in our building.…

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,…

It’s Time to Help Teachers Discover the Science Behind How Kids Learn

We recently surveyed around 200 K-12 educators from across the U.S. to discover their beliefs about learning.  The results were not good—and say a lot…