I really do. It’s a song – it’s just the words haven’t been written for it yet. There’s so much bullshit – I could fill a swimming pool. Instead – I’ll just bow out (of blogging on TeachForUs). What? You thought I’d back off teaching the kids because TFA is a hot mess? No fucking…
read more »So hey y’all. It’s been a few – not because I didn’t have time, but because frankly I wasn’t sure I wanted to share my thoughts. Teach for America is a hot as mess in many ways and the amount of racist and ridiculous things I’ve heard over the past week and a half have…
read more »by Adele Tomorrow I move to California. I’m packed and ready. I’m excited – but not quite as excited as I thought I’d be. Don’t get me wrong – I’m THRILLED about teaching, it’s just that at the end of the day I still have reservations about TFA as an organization. Like why do they…
read more »by Robin Thicke Today I was teaching 4th grade and had the opportunity to see what quilombo (an old school Brazilian Portuguese word that literally translates to whorehouse, but is used to refer to something that is a ridiculously large hot mess) surrounding public education for ELL students in my sill hometown that we’ll just…
read more »By Slipknot File this post under “kids do the darndest things.” Today I was observing my father teach and as I sat outside during recess. A student did something that will forever be etched into my mind. First you need to meet the characters: Ms. B – A fifth grade teacher at my father’s school…
read more »by Justin Timberlake. I believe I now have an explanation for my amazing ability to drive a standard while texting, changing the music and putting on mascara. According to a wealth of research and some recently highlighted by the nytimes: Q. One would think bilingualism might help with multitasking — does it? A. Yes, multitasking…
read more »by Robin Thicke I’ve been spending a lot of time teaching and doing observations in the rather affluent district in which I received my primary and secondary education. I find myself tackling some strange sensations. I see a lot of time wasting (while acknowledging that it’s the end of the year so the time-wasting might…
read more »by Stevie Wonder. Today was my last day at work (no more arguing with lawyers!). Accordingly – it felt really real that I’m actually becoming a teacher. I have a placement, I have a school, on August 15th – I’ll have students. Awesome responsibility, AWESOME. Since I’m sans job – I’ll be spending the rest…
read more »by India Arie Color me surprised (and pardon the bad pun!). People seem to love when I write about race – that or they really hate it. I got about 3 times more hits than my average for my comments on racism. Interesting – I’m not really sure how I feel about that. I definitely…
read more »by Jay-Z I got 99 problems but A PLACEMENT AIN’T ONE! I have a placement at a wonderful elementary school and I adore the school. I’m gonna share all the details when I actually know what grade level I’m teaching (not knowing what grade level I’m teaching is KILLING me, I want to unit plan…
read more »by Lupe Fiasco I think it’s pretty funny, in the grand scheme of things – that I called out someone on their racism on this site and got heat for it, when, about an hour earlier, the individual in question called herself racist (or more accurately, guilty of what she called ‘discrete racism’). How maintaining-of-the-power-structure…
read more »by Mims I’m so PISSED right now. I need to remind myself that there are amazing, inspiring, down CMs who are DOING WORK every single day. For now it’s a little eclipsed by open racism by CMs (who for whatever reason love to talk about their racism on this very website). In fact, a CM…
read more »…I am a martian (‘Phone Home’ by weezy). I came to a (sad) realization today. I ordered a bunch of clothes from Macys. I’m obsessed with bright colors (OBSESSED). I did somehow convince myself to order 4 items of clothing in basic black or beige. I got them today and tried on the boring professional…
read more »by Justin Timberlake. It seems I’ll do any teaching preparation work EXCEPT the TFA pre-institute work. I think it’s really boring and not practical in the way that Teach Like a Champion is. Also – there is very little evidence in Teaching as Leadership, and I thrive off of evidence. Anyway – it’s gonna get…
read more »By Depeche Mode. Teaching is what I was born to do. I know I will have epic (EPIC) failures. I know I will cry, I’ll know I’ll feel like I’m not good enough for my students. I know there will be days when I’ll feel like I have no idea what I’m doing – but…
read more »by brian mcknight teaching is hard work, no doubt about that. but it’s also really awesome and really funny (and i wish it was more common to share the joys than the pain – catharsis is important, but so are laughter and celebration). today i taught a 2nd grade classroom. they were amazing of course.…
read more »by MIA i love watching my teach like a champion dvd. the teachers are so boss – it’s totally inspiring. teachers – if you really think about it – have to have presence and the ability to own a space. teachers have to deliver instruction, monitor work, student focus and manage behavior. it takes someone…
read more »by Adele US American catharsis is weird. Whatever – I think Lupe Fiasco speaks truth when he wrote in the immediate aftermath of the OBL assassination: ”Now kill poverty, wack schools, and US imperialism…” For once, no analysis, no pontification – imma just leave it at that and move on to fighting some battles that are…
read more »by Prince. i want to make some quality ece, middle and high school teacher-friends in my district. i want to be have a deep understanding of where my students are going and where they’ve been. more specifically, i want to know from algebra 1 teachers and my personal favorite, geometry teachers, what conceptual understanding students…
read more »by rufus wainwright. i really can’t with you today, america. i just cannot. i’m disgusted with the media for constantly airing stories about obama’s birth certificate and citizenship status. listen american media – there will always be crazies, it’s ridiculous to time and time again elevate their ranting and pretend these ranting are news. unacceptable,…
read more »i just wanted to take a second to make peace with structured english immersion, because at the end of the idea, it’s not a bad idea. in fact it works for a lot of students a lot of the time (even the supreme court thinks so). so why isn’t everyone and their mother using sei?…
read more »by MYNX After a lengthy break-up with the New York Times, I’ve started a relationship with the LA times and things are going swimmingly. I like the LA times and I really, despite my earlier prejudices, love LA. Me and the LA times spent the morning reading about bilingual education and closing the racial achievement…
read more »by keri hilson among the things i can’t wait for: earning a ph.d in math education. it’s a (hopefully) well known-reality that both women and poc are underrepresented in the study of mathematics. women of color in the field of mathematics deal with intersecting oppressions. the first openly black woman in this country to earn…
read more »by Sam Cooke. when you sing the blues – you’re allowed to go out of tune, it’s better if you don’t, but the blues comes with room for error and thus room for creativity. teaching (well) is much like singing the blues. it’s common knowledge what works in both arenas, but still, a small fraction…
read more »by Lauryn Hill Yay! I passed my 1st California certification test. The CSET multiple subjects wasn’t hard, it just happened to cover everything from Mycenean Greece to Pythagorean Geometry to Learning Disability legislation. No big though – and it’s over: Amen. Now I’m set to battle with a more formidable foe: The CSET Bilingual Authorization…
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