America Is Losing Sight Of Teachers’ Humanity

Do you remember when teachers were heroes? It was a pretty great week. I got a couple of Amazon gift cards from my students and…

Co-Creating Your School’s Behavioral Expectations With Students Can Be a Giant Step Toward Equity

Everyone who’s ever worked in or attended a school knows that in the course of any school day adults create myriad small and large harms…

Teachers Can Choose to Bring Back Joy in the Classroom

“To get the full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with.” —Mark Twain There is no question that the experiences children…

I Am a Black Teacher and I Wear Ralph Lauren. Does That Make Me a Gang Member?

As a teacher, I am always professional with my students. When it comes to how I dress, however, my professional self and my casual self…

Why the Oxford Shooter’s Plea for Help Went Unanswered

As more information on the events leading up to the Oxford school shooting came to light, journalists and the prosecutor in the case began publicly…

You Shouldn’t Have to Be an Educator To Critique Education

If I had a nickel for every time a school official uttered the phrase “unprecedented times” in the past year and a half, our schools…

I Believe in Public Schools, But They Just Weren’t Working for My Son

“The wolf took one last look at his mother and father…” My son is reading aloud in the other room. I hear his little voice…

Yes, We Should Require Teachers to Be Vaccinated

While children becoming seriously ill from the coronavirus is exceedingly rare, it is imperative for teachers to be vaccinated in order to keep schools open…

After the Last Year and a Half, We Must Never Forget How Resilient Students Are

Kids today are too fragile. We’re raising a generation of snowflakes! It’s a universal truth: As long as there are young people, there will be older…

We Don’t Have to Choose Between Relationships and Rigor. Our Students Need Both.

Know your why, and it will sustain you. Dr. Adam Saenz When I read this quote from Dr. Adam Saenz, licensed psychologist and author, it…