If you are a teacher, then chances are you have dealt with many different types of parents. There are many actions parents take that teachers find annoying. You have the parents that never think their kids do anything wrong. You have the helicopter parents that are over-involved. By far, the most difficult parents to deal with are the ones from which you hear nothing at all.
Author: Andrew Pillow
STUDY: Prospective Teachers See Black Students as More Angry and Hostile Than White Students
Have you ever heard of the “angry black man/woman” stereotype? You know the one that alleges black people are quicker to anger than other people? It has been a frequent topic of discussion in every arena from law enforcement, to reality TV, to the workplace. It may be time to have that conversation in education as well.
It’s Important for White Students to Have Teachers of Color Too
There is a well-known shortage of minority teachers in the United States educational system. Compounded by the fact there is a teacher shortage in general, many urban schools are constantly scrambling to find more teachers of color to better represent their predominantly minority student bodies and that is important. The importance of black and brown…
STUDY: Hotter Classrooms Lead to Lower Test Scores
Share Have your students ever told you, “It’s too hot?” If you are like me, then you probably cracked a window and told them to get over it. Well, according to a new study, we should take the temperature complaints of students more seriously. A data analysis conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research…
Four Reasons That Mr. Feeny Is the Best Fictional Teacher of All Time
Share I, like most teachers I know, was very heavily influenced by the educators in my life. I have been lucky to have a great number of quality teachers while in school. However, I didn’t just draw inspiration from my own educational experience, or even real life. I was also inspired by a variety of…
Older Students Need Recess Too
Share My first year teaching, I really struggled a lot. Obviously, there are important skills a rookie teacher has to master, like pedagogy and behavior management, but it was also my first real, full-time job period and I found the general day to day to be a difficult transition. This was compounded by the…
The Summer Slide and How to Avoid It
It’s late June and by now most schools are out. For many students and families, this means a long break until the next school year begins. While that may sound like a good idea for homework weary students, that plan can cause adverse effects most notably, the summer slide. The summer slide “is the tendency…
Calling Students by Their Preferred Name Is Not Violating Your Freedom of Religion
There have been several high-profile conflicts between the LGBT community and the religious right. Whether it’s a religious baker refusing to create a cake for a gay wedding or a state clerk refusing to issue a marriage license for a gay couple, many people have taken issue with accommodating the rights of the LGBT community…
Getting Rid of Standardized Tests Is a Bad Idea
If you are a student in the American public-school system, then you have become familiar with the typical school year format. You learn as much as you can from August to April, then May is reserved for whatever that state’s particular standardized test is. Because of the accountability aspect of No Child Left Behind, there…
Betsy DeVos: Trump’s School Safety Commission Won’t Examine Role of Guns
So far in 2018, there have been 23 school shootings. That averages out to about one shooting every week. That number will likely remain stagnant as summer break approaches. However, the political pressure and movement to tackle the school violence issue once and for all has already begun with the catalyst being the Parkland, Florida…