It did not take a pandemic for me to have experience with interviewing virtually through video. Since the coronavirus pandemic, video interviews have become the norm. At my school, I am the hiring manager for English, English intervention, electives, and the building sub. I have had the opportunity to interview several teacher candidates. Some interviews…
The majority of US teachers are white females. What I know for certain is it is possible that many Black children could go through their entire education without ever having a Black teacher. This means, that each year, I should expect that my twin sons’ teachers will be white females. If you are a white…
This school year, I transitioned into the role of a school administrator. Previously in my career, I have served as an English teacher, English as a New Language teacher, literacy coach, and librarian. Although I took tools and knowledge from those roles into my current position, nothing could fully prepare me except experience. For 11…
My sons, who attend school in Washington Township, and my nieces, who attend school in Hamilton Southeastern, are wrapping up the 2019-2020 school year tomorrow. Over the next few weeks, other students will do the same. When summer arrives, there is always conversation about avoiding the summer slide which refers to students losing some of…
The complaints about at-home learning during the coronavirus pandemic have been numerous and frequent from parents, educators, and students. This is not surprising because shifting unexpectedly to a new model without sufficient time to plan is bound to include some missteps. Typically schools take months or even years to plan for and then implement a…
This Mother’s Day will be one for the history books. It was not wrapped up in pretty ribbons and bows. There was not a huge family gathering around a table with delicious dishes followed by some sweet desserts, nor were there any opportunities to take another generational photo of all the mothers and their children….
Friday, May 1, Hoosiers across Indiana tuned in for Governor Holcomb’s live stream daily update. My husband, sons, and I were glued to the computer screen awaiting the verdict about if he was extending the stay at home order. He did not; however, three counties including Marion county, which encompasses all of Indianapolis, extended the…
Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week. Most schools already had ideas and plans for this week. Jeans days, catered lunches, and small tokens of appreciations placed on teachers’ desks are some of the ways school leaders and parent/teacher associations have collaborated to show teachers some love. The coronavirus pandemic has caused school buildings to close….
Last week, I wrote about an experience I never shared before that centered on injustice towards me as a black educator. The piece resonated with black educators across the United States. I read comment after comment on various social media platforms where my piece was shared where black educators said they had similar experiences. One…
Although school buildings are closed, the school year has not ended. Teachers are working at home to support and teach their students. Yes, teachers should be grateful to be employed and getting paid during this time especially knowing that millions of Americans had to file unemployment. However, some teachers are finding this new work at…