I am a firm believer that school should be fun for kids. I don’t mean the fun from watching videos, going on field trips or letting them run around all day—although that is fun too. I mean fun in the classroom learning. Yes… kids can have fun learning in the classroom. Of course, it requires … More How To Actually Have Fun In Class
The most envied teacher at any school isn’t the smartest teacher, the most politically connected teacher or the longest tenured or the most attractive teacher. The teacher most envied was the teacher was the teacher with the best classroom management. I know this because years ago, not to toot my own horn, but I was … More Building Classroom Management by Being Visible
I never asked to be a disciplinarian when I taught. But I was often thrusted into the role. To be honest however, I was good at it; very good at it. I took on a fatherly persona as a teacher. So, when it came to managing student behavior, I had relatively few problems. My colleagues, … More The Disciplinarian Has Left the Building
American public schools do a poor job teaching the history of American slavery to children. That is probably true of private schools too. I would also say that the majority of history teachers and administrators, the majority of whom are White, lack a comprehensive knowledge of American slavery. They may have read an article here and … More Teaching Slavery Properly
If you’re looking for a place to find an honest conversation about all things education, Steven Singer’s (not the Philly jeweler) blog gadflyonthewallblog is a good place. Mr. Singer speaks truth to power ranging from race and poverty in education to school privatization. One of Mr. Singer’s latest entries speaks of a study, authored by … More Research Brief: No-Excuses Expansion
Teachers and administrators alike desire to increase the number of engaged parents it has within its school. When I taught, teachers frequently lamented that not enough parents would show up for parent-teacher conferences; administrators did also. I also heard educators lament that parents weren’t regularly involved in the school community; that the only time parents … More Straight Talk About Parent Engagement
Many educators, particularly school leaders love to use data to inform teacher instruction. The data movement is a popular one; particularly in the age of school reform. Decisions about curriculum, instruction, and assessment tend to be shaped and determined by data. Well, what is the data? Generally, the data consist of student test scores from … More Doing Data Mindfully
Disclaimer: This post is for the administrators, however, teachers can gain something from it. Use this knowledge well. Thanksgiving is about three things. First, it is about teaching children the truth; that White settlers gave thanks for the slaughtering of the indigenous. Second, it is a time to actually be thankful for those things that … More Beware of the Unseasoned
Schools should teach students how to be responsible and accountable. However, some of the lessons that practitioners come up with aren’t very good. I remember during my last year teaching how the administration changed up the detention model. Originally, if a student received a detention, they had to sit for at least one hour. Depending … More Doing Responsibility Responsibly
In light of the recent events in Charlottesville, educators are approaching the new school year with a greater sense of urgency about needing to teach about race and the nation’s history of white supremacy. They’re also talking about the challenge this poses when 80 percent of teachers in K-12 public schools are white and the majority of students in those … More Are White Teachers Ready?
Months ago, the Education Trust released a report titled Through Our Eyes which detailed the experiences and feelings of Black teachers in American public schools. The revelations that Black teachers made in the report echoes many of the thoughts and feelings that I experienced while in the classroom. Most of my Black colleagues shared similar … More What To Know About The Black Teacher In Your Building
One of the more unsettling realities about teaching is being a push-in teacher. A push-in teacher is a one who doesn't have their own classroom and uses an “open” classroom when it is their period to teach. Rather than sharing a classroom with another teacher, an administrator decides to give them a cart for their … More How To Push-In a Classroom
The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone
Where Race and Sport Intersect at the Point of Commentary
A blog on race, equity, and urban education
... A Strong Rhyme to Step To
"To sting people and whip them into a fury, all in the service of truth."
Navigating Inner City Ministry in Real Time
Urban Education Mixtape 