Finding ‘Common Ground’ Will Be Tough in Virtual Classrooms

Some teachers may face addressing cultural differences virtually this fall, as school districts nationwide consider taking instruction online during the 2020-2021 academic year in response…

Are You An Anti-Racist Educator? Here Are Seven Questions to Help You Decide.

Last week, something in my spirit told me to create an Instagram post on Canva that stated the following:  Okay people, the jury is out! …

There Are Teachers Out There Right Now Causing Real Harm to Black and Brown Students

This is an incredible thread. Joe Truss took the Amy Cooper viral video and described all the ways that that behavior shows up in classrooms…

Now Is the Perfect Time for White Teachers to Do ‘The Work’ of Anti-Racism

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted, well, everything, but at times I find that I have more time to communicate, virtually if necessary, with family and…

Here’s One Way to Talk With Teachers About Race in Schools

I’m five hours into facilitating a professional development on race for a group of teachers.  Overall, the morning was positive: everyone has remained engaged in…

It Was the Worst Moment of My Teaching Career, And I Was the Problem

One of the best teachers I have ever known has a tattoo on the inside of her wrist of the snake from “The Little Prince.”…

We All Carry Implicit Biases. Christopher House Is Learning to See and Change Them.

Research shows that, as early as preschool,  racial bias affects student learning. From a young age, we adults are treating children differently based on their…

27 Mistakes White Teachers of Black Students Make and How to Fix Them

A few years back, I was in my room meeting parents during an open house, just days before the school year started. A woman walked…

My Black Students Have Learned to Be Wary of People Who Look Like Me, And That’s Not Racist

Recently in class, my students and I were listening to Lil Nas X sing “Old Town Road,” for what felt like the 100th time. Unintentionally…

White Students Can Fight for Racial Justice, But Only If Teachers Are Willing to Give Them the Tools

I teach a class in which my predominantly White juniors and seniors teach all of the predominantly White freshmen and sophomores about racial literacy and…