Three Novels I Use to Promote a Love for Reading With Students

I haven’t always loved to read. Growing up, I remember my grandmother and my mom would read me stories. I remember curling up in bed, listening to my mother detail the various endeavors of Harry Potter. We read the first two novels together, then, as I desired more independence, I read the rest of the

Measuring Student Achievement During a Global Pandemic

Let’s face it—you’re struggling. I’m struggling, small businesses are struggling, yet the world must continue. Where does this put our students? Picture yourself as a high school student during this time. These kids are waking up, (maybe) getting themselves ready for school each day behind a screen for at least 8 hours. They attend Google

Promoting Creative Writing to Reluctant Students

I’ll never forget the moment when I saw Robin Williams, for the first time, standing on a desk looking down at a group of students, professing his love for poetry. He attributes poetry to the muse for living; poetry, as a form of expression, makes life worth living. As a college student seeing this for

Reflecting on Resmaa Menakem’s Approach to Eradicating White Trauma

Ten Percent Happier is a podcast that I frequent often. It is hosted by news anchor Dan Harris and shares strategies and philosophies related to meditation, increasing vitality of life, and suggests ways to improve overall health. One of his latest episodes “Why We’re All Suffering from Racial Trauma (Even White People) — and How

Distracted Readers Need Exercise: Helping Students Retain Information From Reading

We’ve all done it before: read something and not be able to recall anything significant out of the passage. To this day, I will have moments where I am reading a novel, a chapter goes by, and I have absolutely no idea what I just read. I can’t recall a single event, character, setting —

The Importance of Modeling in the Classroom

Humanitarian, Albert Schweitzer, once said “example is leadership.” This declaration by Schweitzer is applicable to all people in all professions, but especially reigns true for educators – leaders in the classroom. People are often influenced by those leaders they look up to. Whether this person or group of people serves as a positive influence is

Utilizing Hip Hop in the Classroom

“Hip-hop isn’t what it used to be.” I hear statements like this constantly. Being a fan of hip-hop, I find myself defending the genre and culture against people opposed to the new sound and style practiced by many modern artists. While I agree that there are a lot of famous “rappers” now who have gained

My Manifesto for the Coming Year

I was out on my run yesterday thinking of all the uncertainty that faces all of us educators. July is here and there are still little to no answers as to how school will look this coming year. For me, I go back early August, so the uncertainty at this point is making me more

Essential Texts for High School Students

Many moons ago, activists such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X fought for racial equality. Both activists shared personal stories of segregation, discrimination, and acts of hatred inflicted upon them. Today, many revere these men as monumental figures in human history. However, their work is far from over. It is 2020 now and

The New Normal?

I, like many educators across the world, endured drastic change this year. At the drop of a hat, teachers were tasked with converting all classes to online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Naturally, I would spend a decent amount of time planning for my classes when they were in person. This sort of preparation is