Two-thirds of Chicago’s teachers spend hours on the weekend scouring websites like Pinterest and Teachers Pay Teachers because they say they don’t have up-to-date, culturally relevant curricula—and...
It’s the first week of the 2018-19 year in my second grade classroom at Munger Mountain Elementary School, and one girl sits apart from the rest of the class. For privacy, let’s call her Rosa (not...
Recess Detention. The low-hanging fruit of punishments. The easiest thing to take away from a child because they owe us something. At best, it’s a punitive measure that denies young students the...
I remember vividly the first time I put my head on my desk and cried during my lunch period. The bell to end the fourth period and move to lunch had just rung, and a student was lingering behind...
We all know the female elementary school teacher stereotype, perhaps best portrayed by the iconic Jessica Day from New Girl: bubby, cheerful, exquisitely put-together, good, meek, nice singer, nice...
Earlier this month, the fire alarm went off at my school as students were entering the building in the morning. For most people, this signifies something mundane: quickly leave the building and spend...