TL;DR: Teachers of argument should encourage students to lean out of their comfort zone and explore different points of view. Listening to things we don’t readily agree with actually helps us become more informed about our own values and ideas. Several strategies like believing/doubting, belief continuums, and confirmation bias assessment help students become better at argument writing and speaking. Have … Read More
If You Teach ELA, Prepare to Also Teach History
TL;DR: To effectively teach English, it is important that educators also teach history. Language arts gives us the opportunity to add dimension to our students’ understanding of a specific event, idea, or person. Use historical texts to create experiences. Our students’ futures are contingent on events happening now. They can use the skills they’ve built upon as readers and writers, … Read More
Amplifying Black History All Year
TL;DR: Black history should be amplified all year long. Black voices belong in students’ curriculum and content for more than 28 days. Amplify Black authors and achievements in all subjects by citing Black teachers, creators, authors, and thinkers, reading text that celebrates black excellence and joy, and helping students understand Black history. Teach Black identity intersectionality and be mindful of … Read More
Post-Pandemic Mental Health: Is Stigma Staying in 2020?
TL;DR: To end the mental health stigma, we must provide space to talk about ALL mental health/mental illness without judgment. Mindfulness is only one of the many tools teachers and students can use as a way of fostering emotional regulation. We must recognize the various types of mental illness and normalize the treatment process. Since March 2020, anxiety has become … Read More
Ditching Diet Culture at School
TL;DR: Diet culture is the way a society engages with the pursuit of thinness as a way of life and a value. Diet culture shows up in classrooms through physical classroom layouts. Allowing food during class helps students meet their basic needs before they learn. Ditch diet culture at school by making flexible seating more than a fad and eliminating … Read More
