Posts
National Teacher Day: Thank You to All Educators
Honor Roll, School
The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. —William Arthur Ward
When I think about National Teacher Day, I can’t help but reminisce about the teachers who impacted…
On National Teacher Day Imagine the Life of a Teacher
Resources, School
National Teacher Day is marked on the Tuesday of the first full week of May, which is also Teacher Appreciation Week. This year, National Teacher Day will take place on May 7. This is a big deal for me, not just because I'm a teacher, but…
New School Versus Old School Learning
Resources, School
With the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in place in nearly 50 states and the District of Columbia, more rigorous expectations have been placed on our children, regardless of their residence or background. These standards are there…
How Your Kids Can Show Teacher Appreciation
Honor Roll, School
As an educator I want to be recognized and appreciated every day, but not in the ways you may think. Awards are nice, as are year-end gifts, but there are simpler, better ways to show teacher appreciation. I’d much rather my students shower…
Sandy Hook Teacher Vicki Soto Gave Her Life Protecting Students
Money, News & Politics
When Adam Lanza opened fire inside Sandy Hook elementary school yesterday, taking the lives of 26 children and adults in a horrific and selfish act, teacher Vicki Soto did one of the most selfless things imaginable.
As the bullets flew…
Parents Can Make a Difference in Public Schools
Honor Roll, School
I walked into Room 308 this year and made a beeline to see Luna’s contribution to the Art Wall, a rosy-cheeked self-portrait with an essay on her personal goal: learning to say hello to strangers. Her teacher has no such problem.
“Hello,…
10 Ways Your Local School Board Impacts Your Life
Honor Roll, School
Editor’s Note: This guest editorial is provided by Librotraficante, the organization formed in the wake of the Arizona Legislature’s ban on Mexican American Studies. The Librotraficante Caravan “smuggled” books by Latino writers…
When Classroom Discipline Goes Too Far
Honor Roll, School
Budgets in schools have been cut drastically every year for the past decade or so. These cuts are not unfamiliar to us mamis who try to compensate by donating extra supplies or volunteering to help a student who no longer gets a tutor during…
In Defense of Books, Not Banning
Life, Opinions
The new Arizona mandate to end the Tucson Unified School District’s Mexican American studies classes this week had school officials boxing and carting out of classrooms books that deal with oppression, race and ethnicity, including those…