There is an old quote that says, “Let whoever, think whatever.” This is a quote I try and live my life by. I don’t normally get bent out of shape just because someone on the internet says something wrong, but this school of thought does not suffice during a pandemic. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has…
I enjoy following Dr. Monica Cox on Twitter. She shares experiences that I have also experienced as a black educator. Not only does she share her experiences, but she also pushes forward the narrative that we should not have to endure these situations. Recently, Dr. Cox shared an Instagram post from DrPrisonProf that got me…
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has turned the school system upside down. Schools were caught off guard when they were ordered to close, and it showed. While there were some suburban schools that had dabbled in distance learning for inclement weather, almost nobody was prepared for this kind of scenario where students are learning at home…
During the last few years, teacher strikes have been plastered across media outlets. Time Magazine even put teachers on its cover and dove into the struggles teachers face because of their compensation. Teachers are part of the backbone of our society. They expose children to opportunities that lead them to their careers, and they help…
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has virtually shut down all non-essential functions of the nation. From restaurants to shopping malls, people are feeling the squeeze of the pandemic. This is no less true for education. Schools, like many other places, have temporarily shut their doors, with one big difference. Teachers are still getting paid…so they need…
On this day 25 years ago, I was a sixth-grader on the Planet Patrol team at Craig Middle School in Lawrence Township. It was the fourth quarter, and I was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The transition from elementary school at Mary Castle to middle school at Craig was…
As the e-Learning brought on by COVID-19 extends into the summer, the question that is on the mind of students, parents, and educators everywhere continues to be: Will schools reopen in the fall? The answer is maybe. For what it’s worth, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has…
“How are you feeling on a scale of one to five?” “Honestly, about a two or a three.” That’s how I start coaching sessions with my teachers. The longer we have been in sheltering in place at home while schools are closed, the lower my teachers’ ratings have been. I always have teachers explain their…
On April 7, I released the first episode of my new podcast The Recess Podcast through live stream on Facebook and Twitter. In this episode “#BlackGirlKnowledge,” I interviewed three dynamic and phenomenal educators India Hui (Thrival Indy Academy), JuDonne Hemingway (Teach for America Indianapolis), and Keeanna Warren (Purdue Polytechnic High School). We discussed the current landscape…
Check out Educator Barnes’ discussion with her sister about next school year.