By the End of My Third Year, I Was in Therapy. We Must Start Taking Teachers’ Emotional Health Seriously.

We all know the female elementary school teacher stereotype, perhaps best portrayed by the iconic Jessica Day from New Girl: bubby, cheerful, exquisitely put-together, good,…

Congratulations, You Will Never Have to Do Your First Year of Teaching Again

I want to take a moment to shout out all the first-year teachers out there who made it through what was, in all likelihood, one…

Why We’re Struggling to Keep Teachers in Our Most Vulnerable Schools

A recent article from the Philadelphia Inquirer revealed truths that, while saddening, troubling and infuriating, were not exactly surprising. High teacher turnover hurts kids and…

How Educators Can Keep Their Kids Stress-Free and Learning

Trauma is a silent, but very prevalent problem in the classrooms of today. In fact, recent reports by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services…

I Didn’t Think Personalized Learning Would Be Right For My Classroom But I’m So Glad I Was Wrong

In my first year of teaching I had the opportunity to teach in a school that was piloting personalized learning. As I got more comfortable…

I Don’t Want ‘Well-Behaved’ Students, I Want Students Who Will Challenge the Status Quo

“Well-behaved women seldom make history.” I have pondered over this Laurel Ulrich quote for several years after hearing it, and especially during Women’s History Month.…

Yes, We Can Meet the Needs of Every Student in the Classroom Even When Their Needs Are So Different

Imagine teaching a classroom of 25 students. It’s an English class. You have to assign an essay based upon a grade-level text and are planning…

When I Failed My Student, Restorative Justice Picked Us Up

During one of my daily writing warm-up exercises Alex, a sophomore in my remedial English class, decided to exercise his defiance by yelling, “Get off…

Detroit Charter Leader Chanavia Patterson Knew Her School Had Improved When She Was Ready to Enroll Her Own Kids

Chanavia Patterson always knew she would become a teacher, but she didn’t know she would become an outstanding mentor, coach and principal. In 2013, she…

What I’ve Learned in 10 Years of Teaching

I am currently in my 12th year of teaching. I spent my first two years in The Bronx at P.S. 211 and have spent these…