“We have a duty to fight for our freedom. We have a duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.” This chant has been popularized during the #BlackLivesMatter demonstrations this past fall. The words are paraphrased from the freedom fighter and political exile…
By: Sam Scarborough Most of us have either asked this question or heard it in our classrooms. When I tell people I’m going to be an English teacher, the usual question I’m asked is, “So what do you wanna coach?” Why is our society so inclined to stereotype all male teachers as coaches? Many of…
I am a male in early childhood education, and have been the only male in my program since I decided to go into education. Not one – no, not ONE other guy – is in early childhood education at a University with 3,500 students. I am the lone, solitary male in a majority of my…
By: Gaby Guzman For those of us who received an education, by whatever means, on the systems of oppression that exist in our world, once the veil dropped from our eyes, we could no longer live in neutrality and blissful ignorance. We are moved to act, to influence change…no matter how lofty our goals may…
By: Hallie Schmeling Dear Non-Union Teachers in Wisconsin, Let me start by introducing myself. I’m Hallie, a 27-year old, fifth year teacher in South Milwaukee, WI. I am certified to teach math, special education, and alternative education. I currently teach in a unique program that is dedicated to meeting the social/emotional needs of students who have…
By: Ankur Singh The turn of the 21st century was accompanied by a huge surge in media technologies, revolutionizing how people communicate with each other. Millennials spend an average of about 18 hours a day exposed to various forms of media This heavy media saturation highlights the importance of why students need to know how…
by: Rose Pompey If you’re reading this post you probably already know something about the state of education in the US today, and you probably have some idea of all the pressures and struggles teachers are facing now. I’m not here to dispute any of these problems; in fact, I face them every day. I…
by: Evan M. Taylor In his title track for To Pimp A Butterfly, Kendrick Lamar raps the following lyrics, “Everybody lack self-confidence, everybody lack confidence. How many times was my potential anonymous?” These questions and ideas are at the heart of my instruction and my strategies when I enter the classroom. My main focus in…
By: Conor Pierson I am a Dyslexic man. That means a couple of things. One, I won’t be able to read 40 pages of material in one sitting, and most likely not in one night. Two, I won’t understand what I read if I get interrupted. Three, I’ll mix up words and phrases now and…
By: Daniel Bergerson Empirical research has confirmed what should be common sense: Teachers’ working conditions are students’ learning conditions. However, recent stories of universities struggling to find placements for student teachers in my home state of Minnesota remind us that teachers’ working conditions are also student teachers’ learning conditions. In February 2014, the Minneapolis newspaper…
Young Teachers Collective 