Dear Students, When you came into class sad about your games, trips, matches, activities being cancelled, I could relate. And I did. I told you that, my senior year, 9/11 happened, and it forever changed the way the world functioned.… Read more ›
Last night, students at Joliet Central – the high school where I work – held the first annual Showcase for Peace: Joliet students creatively expressing their stance on gun violence. We had students submit poetry, essays, stories, songs, artwork, and… Read more ›
Most of you all have been around here for a while, so you already know about my side business and venture to provide a yearly, $1,000 scholarship for a girl in need at the school where I teach. But I… Read more ›
Last week, as I was getting my hair cut, the stylist next to me was cutting the hair of a middle-aged man and was saying, “I don’t know, though. We have to listen to these kids. It seems like they’re… Read more ›
Ever since the Parkland shooting, I have been feeling progressively worse. I’m not really sure how to describe it, but it started with a feeling like someone was standing on my chest. Then, it was almost like a balloon had… Read more ›
It is so short and jumbled and jangled, Sam, because there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre. Everybody is supposed to be dead, to never say anything or want anything ever again. Everything is supposed to be very… Read more ›
I am a teacher. So is my husband. It probably won’t surprise you that, between the two of us, we’ve been through three actual lockdowns. Not drills. Actual, bonafide, real-life, doors-locked, no-one-knows-what-is-going-on, saying-goodbyes-just-in-case lockdowns. One for Tim at his previous school.… Read more ›
I’m over at Teaching Tolerance talking about ways teachers can talk about the recent sexual harassment allegations saturating the media: If the conversation about sexual harassment and assault doesn’t come up organically, there are a number of ways to incorporate… Read more ›
If you’ve followed me for any length of time here, you know that I love sewing and knitting. You might even remember my ill-advised last attempt at opening an Etsy shop… I think I figured out what was wrong with… Read more ›
I was driving to work this morning, listening to WBEZ (like I do most days), trying not to cry (like I do most days). But my ears perked up when I heard something about a school in Joliet. Now, I… Read more ›
Since the Women’s March organizers announced that our next step was to be a general strike to make our absence felt in the workplace and make it known how necessary women are to the economy, I’ve had my reservations. I applauded the women of Poland in October for their strike against their government’s proposed abortion ban, and I stand in solidarity with Irish women doing the same next week, but I can’t seem to shake the idea that ours is not the same. Read more ›
I’m over at We Are Teachers this week, talking about nine women of color in literature that all high school students should be reading: 1. Sethe from Beloved Beloved by Toni Morrison is an unforgettable novel about Sethe, a woman who… Read more ›
My post about the Women’s March has been re-posted on the Ms. Magazine Blog: She also mentioned that she learned a lot (and, as her former teacher, that was music to my ears). She saw one sign, in particular, that… Read more ›
I was very fortunate to be able to attend the Women’s March on Washington on January 21 with a former student of mine, and the ability to share this momentous occasion with her was something neither of us will soon forget. Read more ›
I’m over at the Teaching Tolerance blog today, talking about my students’ reactions to my going to the Women’s March on Washington: Their responses were as varied and multifaceted as they are. One girl said that the march should be… Read more ›
I have a student who declines to stand for the Pledge of Allegience. She takes issue with the phrase “with liberty and justice for all,” because it is not “for all” in her view. I asked her about it once.… Read more ›
I am a teacher. It has taken a long time for me to be able to come to terms with that. It was always something I knew I was good at, but it wasn’t always Plan A. Plan A was… Read more ›
It’s been a while, but I’m trying to get back into the writing game. This post at Teaching Tolerance is a great way to start – talking all about how to celebrate and honor Day of the Girl, which is… Read more ›
I’m a little late on this one, but I have a new post up at Teaching Tolerance about how to encourage girls to stay in STEM fields: This might seem like a no-brainer, but one of the most important things… Read more ›
I’m on The Broad Side today, talking about what Hillary Clinton can do to win teachers’ votes: On a more personal level, since the Common Core has been implemented, I have seen an incredible uptick in students diagnosed with and… Read more ›