Here’s a little levity for your Wednesday evening. My students started today by taking notes on symbolism. I’m sure they all already knew what symbolism is, but repetition is always good. Me: Can anyone give me a real-life example of… Read more ›
One of my students asked me today how I feel about the riots going on in Baltimore right now. Nothing like being put on the spot at 8:30 on a Tuesday morning. But, if you know me at all, you… Read more ›
I’m easing back into the writing game! My latest at the Teaching Tolerance blog is just in time for the second half of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and it’s all about what educators and students can do to prevent sexual… Read more ›
I’m over at Teaching Tolerance talking about “Defeating Sexism in High School Sports”: Any one of these stereotypes could prevent a girl from becoming involved in sports in the first place. Some girls who love sports and have competed their… Read more ›
We did two really enlightening activities in Fearless Females yesterday, both of which left the girls and me feeling really great about ourselves and our place in the world. Wrinkled Heart This was an activity I picked up at a… Read more ›
Last year, our school was slated to host the Conference speech tournament. It was the head coach’s first year in the position, and I was becoming known at our school for being insanely organized and really good at running tournaments.… Read more ›
I’m over at the Teaching Tolerance blog today helping to publicize my magazine article, talking about privilege: Once they had the language to talk about privilege, I decided to take it a step further. I asked them what other kinds… Read more ›
To the aforementioned students: You are, at this very moment, coming of age. It makes sense, then, why you would identify so much with the Holden Caulfields and Stephen Dedaluses of our literature class. You are mostly males between the… Read more ›
January has been a big month for me! I’m very excited to announce that my VERY FIRST print article has been officially published! The article is titled “The Gentle Catalyst” and it appears in the winter edition of Teaching Tolerance magazine.… Read more ›
Exciting things are going on over here! I’ve been doing a lot more writing recently – just not so much on this particular site. But don’t worry; I have lots of ideas, and things at school are about to calm… Read more ›
I have of late, but wherefore I know not, lost all my mirth, forgone all with my disposition that this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory; this most excellent canopy, the air, look you, this brave… Read more ›
“Miss. You really need to lay off on all of these essays. Writing is hard!” Yes, a student actually said this to me the other day, and before we respond to the whining of this generation and how, when we… Read more ›
I’m over at Role/Reboot this week talking about kids, social media, and dating practices. Basically, I think it’s nothing to worry about; kids are just finding new ways to rewrite an old story: Teenagers have always found ways to distance… Read more ›
Ever year, like clockwork, the end of September hits. Its cool breezes and shorter days are welcomed after a hot, long summer like a literal breath of fresh air. Feeling exhausted after a long day spent teaching, disciplining, grading, mothering,… Read more ›
Creating a safe space in your classroom is vital for class discussions. If students don’t feel as if they are accepted in the classroom, they probably won’t want to share their views and opinions with the class, either. After all,… Read more ›
I’m over at Teaching Tolerance today talking about my own classroom management practices: When Teaching Tolerance hit my desk in the spring of last year, then, I was looking for something—anything—to help me get back on track. The information on the school-to-prison… Read more ›
Being a teacher isn’t easy. All of the early mornings, the outside-of-school prep work, the grading, the stressful meetings, the extracurricular practices and group meetings, plus the day-to-day dealing with kids can all take a toll. Then, if you’re me,… Read more ›
I’ve been on The Guardian twice in the past few weeks! First, I was talking about keeping guns out of my classroom: We don’t need more guns in schools. We need more empathy and compassion. We need to make dealing… Read more ›
Trigger warning for discussions of statutory rape. Labor Day weekend. For some, it is the last weekend before school starts up again, filled with one last BBQ and pool party before hitting the books. For others like Tim and me,… Read more ›
This blog post was originally written for the Teaching Tolerance blog, but, as a mutual decision, we decided not to publish it. They were concerned that I was calling out the AP and College Board without sufficient evidence. My intention… Read more ›