Editorials
Editorial: With Gratitude for the Gifts
Gratitude is the quality of being thankful, showing appreciation for, and returning kindness. Having just celebrated Thanksgiving, it is impossible to negate the meaning of the holiday especially from the perspective of an educator. Sometimes, in the day-to-day happenings of being a teacher it is easy to become overwhelmed when negative aspects of teaching come […]
Read MoreEditorial: My father was a teacher
For a little over a decade, my life has been dedicated to the growth and success of students of all ages – university students, high/middle school students, and for the last eight years, elementary students. Through my adolescent and young adulthood years I had to grapple with the dreaded question from family, friends, and respected […]
Read MoreEditorial: The Table of Knowledge (T.O.K.)
Happy New Year! While I realize this is a phrase we use in January, not September, the start of a new school year does resemble the beginning of a new year in many ways. Teachers spent time in the summer exploring new subject matter they will teach. They may also have re-designed teaching strategies and […]
Read MoreShould a daycare notify parents about male caregivers?
Society is a fluid and changing thing. Caring for a child is also fluid. The way people behaved even a few years ago draws very different reactions today. In this torrent of changing opinions is the perception of men as caregivers. There are more expectations and opportunities for men to be involved in children’s lives. […]
Read MoreWhy recruiting more men of color isn’t enough to solve our teacher diversity problem
A few months ago, I helped teach a lesson about gender assumptions in the workforce. My students brainstormed a whole list of male-associated jobs: construction worker, bus driver, engineer. Not one suggested teacher. It didn’t matter if the classroom was predominantly female, male, freshmen, upperclassmen. The answer always implied the same: I, a black man, […]
Read MoreChange: From acceptance to serenity
Change…it is inevitable and constant. In fact, “There is nothing permanent except change” (Heraclitus). Sometimes changes are welcome and yet at other times, change leaves me struggling with acceptance. In light of the recent Democratic and Republican conventions, the word acceptance could be heard in the given speeches. The meaning of the word acceptance was […]
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