Getting Pepper-Sprayed by School Police Shouldn’t Be a Part of My Job

I have only felt the terrible sting and discomfort of pepper spray one time, and that was when I was teaching and coaching teachers in…

Teachers, Our Words Can Re-Traumatize Our Black Students

My educational journey started as a special education student, a label that I would maintain throughout my elementary school years. From first to fourth grade,…

Schools Must Prepare Now to Address Student and Teacher Trauma

My students and I are entering our tenth week of remote learning, all of us isolated from one another and from our shared classroom space.…

Here’s How ‘Threat Assessments’ May Be Targeting Vulnerable Students

Last month, the U.S. Secret Service released Protecting America’s Schools, which sends education leaders a clear message: we can prevent school shootings and other targeted…

We Need to Learn About Trauma to Help Kids Who Need Us Most

Everywhere you look, our schools are filled with traumatized children; children struggling not just to learn and succeed, but to survive. Too often, we think…

We Can’t Fight This Education Battle If Our Trauma Beats Us Before We Beat the System

Last night during the Education Leaders of Color (EdLoc) Convening, an itty bitty lady from Puerto Rico with a powerful voice and massive mission was…

Here’s How Teachers Can Help All Students Thrive, Even After Trauma

Fall has always been my favorite season. Having the opportunity to join hundreds of educators at the recent LEAP InnovatED Summit, just days before most…

These Award-Winning Teachers Say to Close the Detention Centers and Bring the Children to Our Classrooms

This post is an open letter to the Trump administration, signed by 45 former State Teachers of the Year and the 1,840 members of Teachers…

Teachers Can’t Take Care of Their Students If They Don’t Take Care of Themselves First

I remember vividly the first time I put my head on my desk and cried during my lunch period. The bell to end the fourth…

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,…