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…
Homework can become a divisive topic in education. It’s a subject where there seems to be no middle ground. Some educators believe homework is necessary, and other educators believe it is a hassle and a waste of time. Which group of educators is correct? There are other stakeholders that should be considered such as parents….
Recently, I came across a tweet that resonated with my beliefs. @CocoCurls1517 tweeted: Teachers be quick to use all sources of getting in contact w you to tell you that your child is misbehaving in class, but lack that same effort to tell you that your child didn’t score well on a quiz/test or not…
Last school year, I wrapped up my 13th year as a teacher, but year 14, I returned as a school administrator. There are two types of administrators, those who were great teachers and those who were not. We all know of those administrators whose charisma, nepotism, or friendship got them a leadership role. What about…
Social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum is being incorporated into schools across the United States, but it is not mandated. Maybe, it should be. In Denmark, empathy classes are part of the national curriculum. According to Bright Vibes: Denmark has consistently ranked in the top three happiest countries in the world in the UN’s World Happiness report…
Until the 2015-16 school year, I never carried my cell phone with me as an educator. What changed was the role I accepted that school year. It was my first year as a literacy coach. One day principal stopped me and asked, “Barnes, did you receive my message?” I responded, “What message?” My principal had…
Last week, we shared Indy K12’s Top Ten most viewed pieces of 2019. As this decade comes to a close, it is time to take a look back at our top ten pieces of this decade. Indy K12 writers are fearless. They tell the truth unashamed and shine a light on educational issues that some…
We are at the halfway point of winter break. For some reason, some children are fizzling. They are making proclamations such as, “I’m bored.” Parents are at their wit ends trying to figure out how to make it through one more week. This is not the time to give in because there is hope. Winter…
As 2019 comes to close, it is important to look back at the stories that garnered the most attention from our readers. So far during 2019, our writers collectively wrote 266 pieces. Whether the pieces were written in 2019 or years ago, there are certain topics that caused our readers to cheer or respond with…
It is finally here! The moment educators have been dreaming of has arrived. It’s winter break, but are you really taking a break? Too many educators use breaks to do more work and then they return to school tired and needing another vacation. Do not be that person. Take care of yourself. Here are some…