A stanza from the infamous anti-war poem ‘Boots’ by poet Rudyard Kipling is highly encouraged to be read in its entirety at a rate of two words per second, to match the sound of marching boots by the thousands of British infantrymen on their crusade in South Africa during the Second Boer War. What teaching […]
Confessions of a Teacher
What are the confessions of a teacher? Read these articles and find out.
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
“Hop” is the newest show on HBO Max to highlight students with disabilities
HBO Max has set April 4 as the premiere for the new animated children’s series, Hop, which focuses on highlighting characters who all have some type of disability. Created by “Arthur” alums Marc Brown and Tolon Brown along with Peter K. Hirsch, the 26-episode series will first debut with six half-hour episodes, with the remaining […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
Teaching and Basketball: Five key takeaways from the Women’s SEC Basketball Tournament that teachers must understand to cultivate successful students
If you watched the Women’s SEC Basketball Tournament this past weekend, you saw some of the league’s best female players engage in amazingly electrifying basketball in pursuit of the coveted SEC Championship title. Each team, regardless of seeding, showed up prepared to achieve one of the goals that have been on their vision boards since […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
Abbott Elementary and the amazing portrayal of Black male educators
As Black History Month comes to a close, I would be remiss if I didn’t share my thoughts with the world about the global phenomenon that is Abbott Elementary and the amazing portrayal of Black male educators on the show. A Thank You Letter to Quinta Brunson and Tyler James Williams, Every Wednesday night millions […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
Teach with humility; Achieve the impossible in teaching expectations
It seems to me that being a modern-day teacher is more challenging than ever before. On average, 15% of students nationwide receive IDEA services for individualized education plans (NCES, 2023). In addition, national movements to improve outcomes for struggling learners (eg. multi-tiered systems of support) have vastly shifted the roles and responsibilities of the traditional […]
Posted inCOVID
And Now They Are Seniors: The Covid Class of 2024
“Ms Lamons, do you remember meeting me online? Honestly, that whole year is a bit of a blur.” It just hit me. I met my incoming seniors for the 2023-2024 school year for the first time online. I met them behind the infamous Black Square Boxes. I engaged with them for an entire school year […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
Post Pandemic Teaching: Teachers take home trauma
Teachers can be traumatized, too. And, I’m not talking about dealing with students who “misbehave” or give them a hard time, although those times can be tough. I’m talking about the teachers who are in the trenches, educating the kids who carry heavy (and sometimes invisible) trauma on their shoulders on a daily basis. Our […]
Posted inClassroom Management
Change Your Classroom Culture From Day One: Give It A Name
“After all, we are the Legendary Thunder Hawks,” says Joan. “So you know our presentations for Black History Month are going to be legendary.” And that’s when I smile from ear to ear. For the last 15 years, my class has selected their own name. The Noble Lions survived Covid-they were fearless and encouraging at […]