The Blog
I remember in 7th grade when one of my teachers, Mrs. B, did a terrible thing. My classmate was reading aloud. Slowly. Struggling through the lines. Working his way. Making gains. And doing it in front of all of us. You know what Mrs. B did? She blurted out, as he walked through the letters and...
There exists a movement among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color all around the world (basically wherever there was colonization) to Whiten our skin. The lure of the proximity to Whiteness as a privilege and as a means for survival is both real and not new. For those of us that can’t...
This blog post is straight from our classrooms!
From Roberto:
A couple of weeks ago, I used writing to promote some social-emotional learning with students while fostering community in the class. I used a picture from the New York Times publication titled “40 Intriguing Photos to Make...
Indigenous People’s Day is an important holiday and it also brings up many feelings… like anger, frustration, pain, and exhaustion. There are still so many that argue that Columbus was an “explorer” and that we must focus on “the good” of his...
Young people are leaders of the future. They will be running this country, our institutions, and our lives, and yet, here they are fighting for their lives and ours. I’m speaking about both the earth/climate change issues, but also gun control, racism, and other matters. Young people have...
One of the challenges of living in Austin, Texas is navigating the insistent gentrification taking place. It rips communities and takes your friends away. It forces potential friends to leave, too.
Roberto and I have worked hard to intentionally find and develop friendships with...
I recently read Kiese Laymon’s book Heavy. I can’t stop talking about it. It was powerful, raw, beautiful, impactful, and heavy. (Pun intended!) One of the moments he narrates is about an incident that happened to him as a college professor. He was the only Black male professor...
Too often teachers aren’t readers. Too often we want our students to read and to be intrinsically motivated to learn… but we aren’t doing it ourselves. If that’s you, then I invite you to consider changing that this summer. Deciding on what to read can be quite...
I’m from Lawrence, Massachusetts. Anyone that knows me, knows that even though I no longer live in Lawtown, I rep it to the fullest. There is much to love about Lawrence and I am proud of my city. Lawrence is a small, close-knit community. It is loud and vibrant in a way that makes you...