It’s been two years since the #blacklivesmatter movement appeared after the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the unjust murder of Trayvon Martin. In that same time, the media began to cast a more focused spotlight on race relations in this country. The spotlight only served to display what many already knew was happening in this … More To Other White Folks: Why the #blacklivesmatter Movement Matters
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” This is perhaps one of the most well-known phrases in the English language. Although this phrase is something that most … More In America, Created Equal Doesn’t Equate to Equal Educational Opportunity
A week ago, our country watched in awe at the deadly shooting that took place in Orlando. The shooting was the largest mass-shooting in our nation’s modern history. It was not only an assault on the LGBT community, but on our country as a whole. Some of us sat speechless and shocked, while others strained … More Orlando: Creating Space for Open Conversation
Throughout the past week, I have been consistently reminded of the largeness of the world’s problems— whether they be the impending effects of global climate change, the consistent turmoil in the middle east, or the inequity of education in this country. It is difficult to reconcile how insignificant and powerless we can feel in the … More Teacher to Student Relationships: Building until the End
A few years back, I was talking with one of my students. Somehow the conversation led to me asking what people in his neighborhood thought of our school. Very emphatically he exclaimed: “Nobody in my neighborhood knows about this school. This school’s for white people.” I learned then that if you wanted to know about … More Want to Know How Your School Handles Equity and Diversity?: Just Ask The Students
This past weekend I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the Teach to Lead Summit in New Orleans. The summit was set up in a format to create a space for emerging teacher leaders to do the tough work that comes with creating a plan to move a vision forward. The challenges and … More Teach to Lead, New Orleans
While I was thumbing through the intermingled stream of information as it shows up on the web, I came across an article that was proposing a different approach to communication with parents. The post itself was rather deplete of any new ideas on how to build a stronger bridge between parents and schools. What I … More Engaging Parents
A topic that repeatedly comes up in education are standards. Whether it is the misinformed outlash that has been brought about by the Common Core or the scores that arise from the standardized testing, most conversations about education seems to hover around the same place: standards. We could talk about this subject all day and … More Kids Before Content
During a meeting a week ago, I was engaged in a conversation amongst fellow teachers. We were discussing the implications of tracking. The conversation led down the path of standardized testing— as it so often does. How do we make sure that all students are learning if we are in a perpetual race to complete … More I Won’t Cave
The power of our words can brighten minds, mend hearts, and change lives. As teachers, we have been blessed with the opportunity to stand among a group of young people and use our words to inspire, console, enlighten, and so much more. If we are not careful with the words that we choose, we risk … More The Power of Words
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