Some days you feel like a rock star teacher. Your lesson goes off without a hitch. Your students ask poignant, critical questions. They submit quality assignments. You think, “I’ve have got this!” But other days you feel like you are
Read More
Required Reading: What Every Educator Should Read
A social media trend took over this summer. As I scrolled through my feed, my friends began posting their “7 Day Challenges” ranging from books, music, movies, and personal photos. The challenge required participants to post pictures of their seven
Read More
Hitting the Like Button: Using Social Media to Grow an Online Community
I joined Facebook in 2002 when you had to have a college email address to sign up for the social media site. Each day I checked my account in anticipation of the new friend requests I received. Over the years,
Read More
The Reset Button: Why We Need to Experience Failure to Reach Success
My husband, Tyler, plays video games when he has a free moment on the weekends. While I have no desire to pick up an XBox controller, I mindlessly listen while grading a stack of papers or finishing a chore as
Read More
African American Influence on U.S. Government
African American Influence on U.S. Government As February winds down, let’s remember that the celebration of African American influence does not have to end. In honor of this, we will take a look at some of the ways that
Read More
Four days. Three nights. Sixty students. Ten Teachers. One Million Smiles.
I returned home two weeks ago from Vikingtown, a diversity and leadership camp. The four days, three nights with sixty students and ten teachers created one million smiles. This was my first Vikingtown experience and I had zero clue what
Read More We Are More Than Dr. King
I was blessed to grow up in the rich African American (Black) culture that resides in the Washington, D.C. area. I saw our good and bad, our strengths and weaknesses, our beauty and shame wherever I looked. I was secure…I
Read More
Online Learning: Building Relationships in the Digital Age
This week, I began teaching an online class. I have little experience in online education. I started my undergraduate degree when AOL still used instant messaging. Online classes were rare; in fact, I think I took one biology lecture and
Read More
Society is Shaped in the Elementary Classroom
Renewable Resources Most agree that social justice in America is becoming more questionable. We are a nation drenched in biases, prejudices, and mistreatments. We have a multitude of programs and initiatives aimed at righting these wrongs ranging from the Civil
Read More
Addressing Dyslexia in Arizona, Part 2
This is Part 2 of a three part blog series on addressing dyslexia in Arizona. Part 1 can be found here. The subtitle for this post should be “Call It What It Is.” Where are we today in Arizona policies,
Read More