When We Talk to Our Students, Let’s Focus Less on ‘Learning Loss’ and More on Their Learning Leaps

In the winter and spring of 2021, as the year of remote and hybrid learning continued, I started to notice a drop in attendance, particularly…

Teachers Are the Best Experts on How to Spend the American Rescue Plan Money

The American Rescue Plan is sending an additional $128 billion in federal dollars to elementary and secondary schools to help students recover from the difficult…

Here’s How Student Curiosity Can Advance Racial Justice…If Teachers Just Let It Happen

Curiosity is oftentimes the beginning of learning. When we’re curious, we begin to ask questions. Our questions prompt us to investigate, and our investigations lead…

We Never Learned About Black Wall Street. So, What Else Is Missing From Our Curriculum?

Did you ever learn about Black Wall Street and the Tulsa, Oklahoma Massacre? I know I did not. It was not until I was an…

I Managed the Stress of Teaching This Year by Reminding Myself That I Work With Adults, but for My Students

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. If there’s one thing we know for certain, this school year has been difficult for everyone. I recently caught…

Students Should Know What’s in Their IEPs

If you work in special education, then you have likely worked on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). IEPs are plans developed to ensure that students…

For Teacher Appreciation Week, Let’s Give Teachers Something They Really Want

I wanted to write the standard feel-good piece for Teacher Appreciation Week. I really did, but it just felt inauthentic. Don’t get me wrong. I…

A Teacher’s Power to Stop Violence Is Rooted in Relationships

During my 15 years of teaching, I have broken up many fights. I have been hit in the ear so hard that it rang me…

I Know What the Challenges Are for Black Teachers and How to Start Fixing Them

I will never forget the moment last year when a seventh-grade African American student came to my door and said, “Mr. Taylor, I just wanted…

Women’s History Month Is Not Just for Female Students

March is Women’s History Month. This is the time of the year where we take a step back and make sure that we are honoring…