The Blog
Being a teacher who is black, indigenous, or a person of color (BIPoc), can be challenging in and of itself. So many resources that come across don’t always speak to our experiences in the classroom as a teacher. There are commonalities and trends to what we experience as teachers, and...
Growing up an immigrant of color in the U.S. can be full of challenges and trauma.
My family came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic in the late 80s. I was four. While I was born there and have dual citizenship, and can’t deny the island breeze in my veins, I’m also very...
You can’t teach the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and not discuss the n-word. Ignoring it is irresponsible. So, how does a teacher engage her class in a discussion around this very controversial and complicated word?
My current teaching context is a small...
I’ve had many difficult teaching moments. Some were a result of my own doing, yet many were a result of systemic inequalities that bled into the four walls of my classroom. I once had a student drop out of his junior year in order to work full time so he could help his family back home in...
I didn’t realize how unprepared I was for Trump’s election. I had simply not thought that result through. Immediately I began receiving text messages. My father’s words to all of his children will stay with me. I was teary-eyed as I dropped Analiz off at school. I cried a bit...
Teaching at Headwaters is quite the change of pace & style for me. The main differences are the creative autonomy I have and the student academic freedoms they enjoy. I wrote more about that here.
What are the main differences?
1. Debriefing class/lessons.
2....
After teaching at an oppressive, regimented, “turn around” school district, I can now say I know what it means to be academically free. Those who’ve taught in such spaces understand what I mean when I use those words above. It’s a space where all my steps are watched, all...
