Trump Isn’t Just Cutting the Education Budget, He Wants Schools to Pay for the Wall

Mexico will not pay for Donald Trump’s wall. Your children will. And your children’s children will pay the interest, as will their children—and perhaps the…

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…

White People Get Big Mad When You Force Them to Think About White People

White people get big mad when you force them to think about White people. I knew this. I know this. Also, they will almost never…

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…

Free Breakfast for Every Student Just Makes a Lot of Sense

Every day, I strive to create a positive, welcoming and equitable learning environment where my students can be themselves, access instruction in meaningful ways and…

It’s Going to Take More Than a Black History Month Report to See Racial Equity in Our Schools

Black History Month provides a calendar-driven chance for students and teachers to talk about Black History. But it can easily become a way of tokenizing…

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…

I Never Wanted to Be a Teacher But Now I #LoveTeaching

Growing up, I never wanted to be a teacher. At one time I wanted to be a sports writer; at another, a chaplain. Entering college,…

I #LoveTeaching Because I Help Connect My Students to Worlds Outside the Classroom

In just a few minutes over my lunch break this past week, a group of 12-year old girls affirmed exactly why I #LoveTeaching! It all…

The Best Part of Teaching Is When You Succeed in Engaging Your Students’ Mind, Body and Spirit

My favorite book in the world is “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and it is special for me to share that book with my students. They…