Relationships Don’t Come Before Rigor, They Go Hand in Hand

I’m a sixth grade teacher grappling with the reality of teaching kids who may not have darkened a school door in over a year. Many…

Now Is Not the Time to Let Down the Students Who Need Us the Most

After the unprecedented global pandemic that disrupted — not one — but two separate school years, educators are finally preparing to welcome students back to…

3 Strategies To Make Your Classroom a Community

We are halfway through summer and the 2021-22 school year is only a few weeks away in some communities. After countless disruptions caused by the…

You Can and Must Foster Belonging, Acceptance, and Support for Your LGBTQIA+ Students. It’s a Matter of Life and Death.

Many young people see belonging as a quest to fit in, but it’s so much deeper than that. Belonging means accepting, celebrating, and including our…

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…

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…

Following the Chauvin Trial Is Traumatic. Don’t Turn Away.

When we bear witness, when we become the situation—homelessness, poverty, illness, violence, death—the right action arises by itself. We don’t have to worry about what…

7 Steps to Help You Implement Trauma-Informed Practices at Your School

The only way to implement something well is through trial and error. In 2017, I proposed to my principal that teachers should adapt to trauma-informed…

Teachers Legally Hitting Students as a Disciplinary Measure Has to Stop

Here’s a familiar scene: You are attending a professional workshop about America’s school-to-prison pipeline. The gray-suited speaker concludes his presentation to thunderous applause, and yet,…

School Discipline Explained: Why It Harms Students of Color and How We Can Fix It

Over many decades, America’s disciplinary policies, from preschool to high school, have disproportionately affected marginalized students. This difference creates a “discipline gap.” Black students account…