It was during my lone year as a vice principal that I was the disciplinarian at my school. I absolutely hate the job. I loved the kids. I knew many of them very well because I taught them previously. They were really great kids. I hated the job because of my teacher colleagues—they saw my … More How NOT To Discipline in an Urban School
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
This week, I chose a piece from Abolition For The People: Mark Anthony Neal’s The Myth of the “Good Cop”: Pop Culture Helped Turn Police Officers Into Rock Stars – And Black Folks Into Criminals. You can access the piece HERE for your reading pleasure. I encourage all of you to read this text. This … More SOAPing American History: Mark Anthony Neal’s The Myth of the “Good Cop”: Pop Culture Helped Turn Police Officers Into Rock Stars – And Black Folks Into Criminals.
I’ve previously shared that I didn’t use textbooks as a teacher. I knew the history textbooks were whitewashed and void of the whole truth. Thankfully, there was a Black-owned bookstore around the corner from where I taught; LaUnique Bookstore at 111 North 6th Street in Camden was at my disposal. I found numerous gems in … More SOAPing American History
This post marks the second part in a series of post designed to explore history instruction to assist history teachers at teaching history in more culturally inclusive, balanced, and responsive ways. You can read part one here. As an adolescent, history was nothing more than dates, events, people and places I saw in books. It … More Teaching History Part 2: Purpose
This post marks the first part in a series of post designed to explore history instruction to assist history teachers at teaching history in more culturally inclusive, balanced, and responsive ways. Teaching history is a major responsibility. I don’t minimize the other content areas, but teaching history is so important. However, there are some who … More Teaching History Part 1: Motivation
It is incumbent for educators, no matter their station, to cultivate the future leaders of our nation. That means striving to reduce ignorance; thereby reducing the potential of violence upon the various communities of our nation due to a lack of concrete knowledge rooted in historical truths. … More Hopes for the New Year
Many of us can recall a time when they walked into unfamiliar territory; whether it was a party, a new school or a new job. One of the first things we do when in that circumstance is scan for the familiar. Maybe there is a familiar conversation that you interject yourself in. Maybe there is … More Walk On By
To be “woke” means aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice) Everyone wants to be “woke.” This is a trend that is happening amongst educators. Don’t get me wrong… woke principals and teachers is a good thing. However, one could do too much or focus on … More Woke School
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?
You cannot effectively serve urban students and engage with urban families if you are unwilling to go where they live. I don’t mean that you have to do a house visit for every student that you teach. However, you should know the neighborhoods where your students live and you should attempt to walk the streets … More A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
I recently read a thread on Twitter regarding two Black children and their discomfort with their teacher’s usage of the N-word during a lesson. Long story short, a White teacher, in a room of mostly White students, in an attempt to teach about the N-word (the lesson objective was neither directly stated or implied in … More On Teaching The N-Word
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 