Teaching
New EPA Proposal on Pollution Could Lead to More Students With Asthma Missing School
How could my students succeed if they were not able to come to class? It was a question I used to struggle with constantly. Prior to entering medical school, I worked as a middle school teacher in...
Teaching
Every Time I Think About Leaving the Classroom, My Students Remind Me Why I'm Here
Last week, teaching almost killed me. Again. I was driving home from work, having stayed later than typical for a meeting and some organizing. The later drive meant hitting rush hour square in the...
School Funding
Wealthy, White People Are Still in the Business of School Segregation
What’s causing school segregation? Some people say charter schools—I say it’s White people. Before y’all get upset, I’m not saying it’s all White people—just the racist ones who don’t want their kids...
Teaching
Every Student Wants to Learn, We Just Need to Teach Them
Anyone who has spent time around young children knows how curious and wonder-filled they are. When my son was 5, we'd drive around and he would ask about the meaning of every road sign. I mean....
Teaching
20 Years After Columbine, I Still Have to Worry About My Students' Safety
Before I left school yesterday, I looked at my classroom. Not to check and make sure the floor was clean, or to look for coats left behind, water bottles on the floor, or rows askew. Rather it was to...
Teaching
How Educators Can Keep Their Kids Stress-Free and Learning
Trauma is a silent, but very prevalent problem in the classrooms of today. In fact, recent reports by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), suggest that more than 66...
