Ukraine and Russia have been dominating headlines worldwide for a couple of weeks now. Though it is highly unlikely that they are tuned into the nightly news, your students have no doubt seen some form of coverage, somewhere. It probably has been via TikTok or other forms of social media. Because students are being exposed…
Bills attempting to ban male-to-female transgender students from girls sports have sprung up all over the country, and Indiana is no exception However, in somewhat of a surprise, Gov. Eric Holcomb vetoed the bill. The bill in question would have barred transgender female students from participating in female sports. Additionally, schools would have to designate…
I know I am late to the party, but I finally watched “Abbott Elementary.” Do police officers like watching “Law & Order?” Do doctors like watching “Grey’s Anatomy?” Part of television watching for me is escapism. Although “Abbott Elementary” is a mockumentary, and has a similar vibe to “The Office,” I was not sure if…
During my second year in the classroom, I studied popular holidays with my students. During my undergraduate studies at Purdue University, I learned the importance of students having a say in what they learn. I gave a survey to ask for student input. Many students expressed enjoying learning about holidays in elementary school, and they…
This week, two years ago was the last week of what many of us called normal life. The year 2020 was a couple of months in and many people declared they were going to have 20/20 vision throughout the year. Unfortunately, that vision had a huge blind spot, and we entered a pandemic that impacted…
I love the term Black Excellence because it highlights the fact that Black people can also achieve at high levels. We know this, but Black adults know that Black children need these reminders and some of our non-Black counterparts need to be reminded as well. However, Black Excellence can become a double-edged sword and put…
Yesterday the Indiana Senate killed House Bill 1134. The bill was aimed at banning or limiting conversations on “divisive concepts” like race, religion, sexuality, and gender. Proponents of the bill say that it would give parents more input and guarantee that students were not being made to feel responsible or uncomfortable in the classroom. Opponents…
28 days (29 when there is a leap year) are not enough to cover the depth that is Black history. Since Black history is American history, there is no reason why this history should cease just because the calendar moved from February to March. Earlier this month, I talked to a teacher about the book…
Black History Month is a great time to learn new information. It is also a great time to unlearn information that is false and even detrimental. Today, we are going to debunk the mythology around “Uncle Tom” and why its usage as a slur makes no sense. Almost every Black person has heard the term…
As if teaching during a pandemic is not already hard enough, Texas teachers have been given another task. This task threatens to damage their relationships with students and their parents. Earlier this month Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton released an opinion on Texas law. This opinion stated that gender-affirming medical care for children is a…