The American Myth of Justice for All & Critical Race Theory

2021 seems to be the year of parent engagement. Parents all over the states are advocating for or against teachers utilizing Critical Race Theory in class. Some parents view Critical Race Theory as a method to offer a more transparent and equitable education. Other parents view Critical Race Theory as problematic, as it may make non-people of color uncomfortable while learning about atrocities committed by their ancestors during times when racism was culturally accepted. 

School Librarians and Teachers Must Work Together To Make School Fun

This past school year was the hardest most educators have faced in their careers. The word “pivot” is honestly a word I would be okay never hearing again, is anyone with me there? This year, my main goal is to make this year as easy as possible for my teachers on my campus as their librarians. It surprises me year after year that teachers do not realize how their school librarian can support them with instruction and make their life easier with less stress. Together librarians and teachers, through collaboration, can not only help create an environment where the school is even more fun for our students but also librarians can help relieve some of the stress of lesson planning for the teachers.

Keeping Up With the Tech-Savvy Teacher Next Door

For years I’ve dabbled in technology integration within my classroom, or what I thought was integration. I taught my students to use Word documents and PowerPoint and eventually moved to Google docs and even shared assignments through a Google classroom. I thought I was doing the best I could all while keeping up with the latest classroom management techniques, managing IEPs, imputing grades, teaching the standards, and preparing my students for standardized testing. Yet, I couldn’t help but feel that my students were passing me up when it came to technology. It worried me, but I kept telling myself that I was already doing more than I could handle.

The Parable of a Teacher’s Post-Pandemic Pause

“I gotta fight every night to prove my love!” I will never forget this scene from the movie The Five Heartbeats when the boyfriend comes back to the table and find his girl with another man. Now, how in the world am I going to relate that line to teaching? For those of us in this “fight”, we may feel like we are constantly fighting to prove our dedication, qualifications, and our worth! It seems like many still cannot decide if we are allies or villains from one moment to the next! If I have learned nothing else from this pandemic, it is that we all have a story to tell.

What Teachers Can Learn from the 2021 Olympic Black Girl Magic

“She doin’ too much!” “Do it take all that?” “Show some humility!” and the ever trending “She looks like a man!” I purposely quoted, verbatim, a handful of statements about nearly all the Black women currently killin’ the 2021 United States Olympic Trials in multiple categories.

What Virtual Learning Can’t Replicate from the Classroom

Before Covid-19 struck many of us were in peak stride in our yearly routine. Students came in, the bell rang, we welcomed them, we taught them something, they practiced it, maybe they asked some questions, the bell rang again, and we moved on to the next class. At the high school level, even if you have an exciting lesson plan or class environment, there ended up being a daily pattern that we slid into. However, certain aspects of the education process become overlooked on a daily basis that is very important in the growth of our students, which is ironic because many of us actually enjoy them.

Survivor's Guilt and Collective Trauma in Returning Back to School in 2021

For the past few days, I’ve been busy setting up my new classroom. I’m sure you know what that entails. For me, it’s a new beginning, and a chance to hopefully put some of this past year behind me. Yet, I wonder as I look at the now-empty student desks, will my new students be able to put the past behind them? Will they be able to have the normal “first-day jitters” or will those jitters be shrouded in darkness and fear? What about my new colleagues? Will their “back to school dreams” be fraught with those images from last year? Will we wrestle with guilt for surviving

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