I want to be the best. Being the best takes time, energy, and effort. During the early part of my career, I put most of my time, energy, and effort into myself and my classroom. I did not care much about what was happening in anyone else’s classroom. Those classrooms had their own teachers. Those…
This is my 14th year as an educator, and every single year I have been asked to complete an intent to return form. These forms tend to ask if educators are planning to return to the school the following school year and what they would like their role to be. Each year, I have watched…
February 14 represents another fabulous day of Black History Month. It is Valentine’s Day. It is also International Book Giving Day. I believe it is fitting that International Book Giving the same is the same day as Valentine’s Day. Books can say so much. You can say much more to someone by giving them a…
Since I have been a writer for Indy K12, I have advocated for schools to eliminate discriminatory wording in their dress code policies that target black children. When school dress code policies state that children can’t rock an afro, wear braids, or wear dreadlocks, black children are being told their hair is not beautiful unless…
Schools are not inside of a vacuum. They are within our community and our students aren’t shielded from events publicized in the media. Teachers have two choices. They can ignore what is happening in the world, or they can incorporate those events into their lesson plans. However, incorporating controversial events or tragedies can be a…
Regardless of the role, I have held thus far during my career, literacy has been at the core. One of my favorite activities is reading a book aloud, whether that is at school as an educator or at home as a parent. Currently, I’m a school administrator, and I have been asked twice to read…
Saying the words ‘school choice’ could start a fight. Let’s get real; it will start a fight. We should have never found ourselves in a place to judge the rights of other people to make choices and decisions about their families, but here we are. Who are we to judge the choices of others? What…
Children are born into this world innocent. They love easily, and they don’t have hate in their hearts. But if that child happens to be black? He or she will find out that Earth, Wind & Fire were correct when they sang, “child is born with a heart gold; way of the world makes his…
Saturday is officially the first day of Black History Month. Can I tell you a secret? I have already been celebrating black history. I celebrate from January 1 until December 31. Why? Well, because I’m black every single day. It is important for me to hear positive stories about black people and see positive images…
When I was a kid, I experienced education at school and education at home. In our living room were two large bookshelves. On the shelves were books my parents purchased to expand our learning. Many of these books focused on black people and black history. When I became a parent, I quickly understood why my…