Teacher-Leader Voices
Past and present state teachers of the year weighed in on the most pressing issues in K-12 education, sharing their most promising insights from the classroom and seeding critical conversations about the future of teaching and learning. This blog is no longer being updated.
Student Well-Being & Movement
Opinion
Teaching Means Witnessing Small Acts of Humanity All the Time
That is why I am in love with teaching. Working with young people means that I get to witness these small acts of brilliant humanity all the time. I get to continually be inspired and challenged and amazed. I get to watch as students transform themselves into people who will change the world.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Some Kids Dare You to Teach Them
Every teacher gets a moment when they face one kid or a hundred kids just like Damion. It's in these moments your core beliefs are challenged and revealed.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Even on the Most Hectic Days, Being a Teacher Is Amazing
Carissa told me that she had not been completely honest about why she was calling me. She did not have a paper to write and did not need to ask me any questions. Instead, she wanted to see my honest reaction as she read a letter aloud that she had written to me.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
To Achieve Equity in My Classroom, I Had to Check My Own Bias at the Door
Equity in education today is more than just the availability of an education; it's recognizing the fact that some students require more support than others to reach their academic potential.
Education
Opinion
When Quitting Means Persisting
Often teachers will give and give to a point where it becomes unhealthy, taking us away from our own families or our personal lives. As lifelong learners, we make a second career of attending conferences and workshops, or reading and participating in professional learning outside of our work day. This tendency to overcommit ourselves can be exploited by schools and districts under pressure to perform and reach ever higher achievement with fewer resources.
Education
Opinion
I Failed Many Times Along the Path to Teacher Leadership
Even now, when I think about my journey to leadership my eyes tear up because it was not an easy road. I had to face my fears, take rejection, and push myself to do and learn more. I learned to go for my dreams, accept failure and refuse to accept "No."
Student Well-Being & Movement
Opinion
Learning With Students From Other Cultures Is a Key to Progress in Our Global Society
We live in interesting times. As our global society struggles to navigate problems brought about by fear and misunderstanding of those who are different, we have unprecedented access to tools that make connecting and learning with others easier than ever before.
Education
Opinion
When It Comes to Advanced Coursework, Equity Is Access
Around the nation students of color and low-income students are underrepresented in accelerated courses; this is a long-term driver and consequence of societal inequality.
Education
Opinion
Turn Your Class Into a Team
Teachers are classroom leaders responsible for engineering a calm, safe learning environment. Whether class norms are teacher-driven or student-generated, it is the teacher's responsibility to articulate, model, and reinforce the standards for acceptable behavior in the classroom.
Recruitment & Retention
Opinion
Your Gift to New Teachers Is to Help Them Navigate the Holiday Hustle
It is important for schools to think about the needs of their novice teachers—they must think beyond training at the beginning of the year.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Time to Amp Up Our 'Thankitude' in and Out of the Classroom
Thankitude is different from mere gratitude. It is actively paying attention to, and expressing thanks for, what matters most to you.
Education
Opinion
This, Not That: Real Strategies for Teacher Leaders
Teachers are inundated with so much data that really does not matter; your feedback as a leaders should not be a part of it. Great feedback is honest feedback. When I have dispensed with pretense and just told it straight, I have gotten more return on investment than any other type of conversation.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Teachers Should Be Writers
When writing about your experience, it's OK to be vulnerable. In fact, being honest about what your day feels like, what you see and feel in your work, will often make a piece more interesting, more relatable, and ultimately more powerful.
Education
Opinion
Stop Making Teaching Harder Than It Has to Be!
I'm suggesting we practice mindfulness when approaching our work: consider our intentions when beginning a lesson, speak to a student who is struggling behaviorally, or reflect on our practice. There is an undeniable connection between a teacher's attitude and a student's experience.