Posts Tagged ‘teaching’
Embracing Diversity – Inclusive Classroom Activities for Inclusive Schools Week 2023
With Inclusive Schools Week 2023 approaching, this year’s “Draw Me In!” theme challenges us to paint a picture of disability inclusion. As we approach the festivities from December 4-8, 2023, we note that the week is not merely a celebration, but also a call to action. It’s an opportunity to embed inclusive practices within our…
Read MoreWhy Every Child Should Go Camping At Least Once (But Preferably All the Time)
Sometimes, I worry that today’s kids are overly connected– staring at their phones, requiring constant entertainment, especially in the city. When I ask my students what they did during the weekend, their answers usually include the words “Netflix” and “Snapchat” more often than “biking” or “play.” Last week, I took my students (city kids growing…
Read MoreAn Open Letter to my Students
Last weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the Teach For America 25th anniversary summit in Washington, DC. The summit had over 15,000 attendees, all committed to improving the quality of education for students in low-income communities. One session that particularly moved me was titled “Fighting Like Hell for Kids: Award-Winning Teachers on Staying in…
Read MoreAnd Another School Year Begins…
Tomorrow marks the start of the next school year– my second year of teaching. Though I would not want to repeat my first year, I am a bit envious of my one-year-ago self. She was about to embark on the most inspiring an powerful journey, during which she would meet students and families who would…
Read MoreWhat It’s REALLY Like to Teach Middle School
When I tell people I work as a teacher, the conversation inevitably goes like this: “Oh, that’s wonderful! What do you teach?” “7th grade sp–“ “You teach middle school?! That is rough. I hated middle school. I cringe when I think back to my time in middle school. It takes a special kind of person…
Read MoreEmpowering Through the Growth Mindset
Standardized tests can be really hard on kids’ self esteem. They send the message that a child’s worth is defined by a number. A few months ago, my school administered middle-of-year testing. Once the results came in, I had a conversation with one student about her performance so far during the year. She identified that her…
Read MoreIt’s Testing Season…
… And there’s a lot of tension in the air. At least at my school, teachers are constantly talking about standards and data and rigor. Everyone is stressed out! I needed to take a break from the testing madness and get some thoughts out about why I do what I do and who exactly I…
Read MoreMath: Not Just One Answer and One Way
Picture your very first Algebra class. You probably imagine silent students, with a few raising their hands to answer specific questions. Perhaps you picture your teacher writing a problem on the board, explaining it, and then giving you a problem set to practice yourself. That is the way math has been done for years, and that…
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