We Begin to Know Each Other
An administrator describes the journey of her K-8 school as it welcomes a transgender 8th grader and the gender transition of another student.
Cover Theme
Other People’s Lives
An introduction to persona poems, which ask students “to find that place inside themselves that connects with a moment in history, literature, life.”
“¿Qué es deportar?”
An early elementary school teacher realizes she needs to dump the scripted curriculum and basal reader, find Latina/o literature in Spanish, and make space for her students’ thoughts and feelings.
Portraits from a Public School in Harlem
What happens when a vibrant community school is undermined by district policies? A story in text and photographs.
Testing Assumptions
High school students creatively and successfully organize against high-stakes testing in Rhode Island.
Un examen de prejuicios
Un grupo de estudiantes de secundaria se organizan para protestar los exámenes de alto impacto de Rhode Island.
“I Am a Feather”
A 5th-grade teacher uses N. Scott Momaday’s brilliant imagery to inspire his students to write metaphoric “I Am” poems.
Celebrating Skin Tone
An early elementary school teacher combines a science lesson and poetry to encourage children to celebrate their own skin tone and that of their classmates.
La biblioteca que construyó Target
Cuando Target le donó a una escuela primaria en San Francisco la remodelación de su biblioteca, la política del distrito en contra de las marcas no fue suficiente para impedir que los estudiantes fueran bombardeados por mensajes corporativos.
The Library That Target Built
When Target donated a library “makeover” to a San Francisco elementary school, the district’s anti-branding policy wasn’t enough to keep the students from being engulfed by corporate messaging.
Black Like Me
A poem—and the history behind it—about being invisible, yet stereotyped, as an African American student bused to a predominantly white school.
Dear White Teacher
An African American middle school teacher calls on white teachers to think before they routinely send black children to black teachers when there is a problem.
Queridos maestros blancos
Una maestra afroamericana de secundaria les pide a los maestros blancos que piensen antes de mandarles los niños negros a los maestros negros cada vez que tengan un problema con ellos.
Teaching the N-Word
A white high school teacher prepares her students to read August Wilson’s Fences by leading an exploration of the n-word.
A Revitalized Teacher Union Movement
The president of the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association describes paths and pitfalls in moving beyond bread and butter issues to social justice unionism.
’12 Years a Slave’: Breaking Silences About Slavery
A teacher educator puts the award-winning 12 Years a Slave in the context of other films used to teach about slavery.
“May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor”
The Hunger Games becomes the basis for a role play that deepens students’ understanding of social class and its impact on alliances and resistance.
“Que las probabilidades estén siempre a su favor”
Los juegos del hambre se usa como base para una dramatización que profundiza el conocimiento de los estudiantes sobre la clase social y cómo esta impacta las alianzas y la resistencia.
Disarming the Nuclear Family
Most children’s books—even those with animals as the protagonists—portray families with two heterosexual parents. A 2nd-grade teacher has her students create a book that represents their own more diverse families.
El desarme de la familia nuclear
La mayoría de libros para niños -hasta los que usan animales como protagonistas- retratan a las familias con dos padres heterosexuales. Una maestra de 2do grado pide que sus estudiantes creen un libro que represente la diversidad de sus propias familias.
The Role of Performance Assessment in Developing Teaching as a Profession
The edTPA will lead to better teachers and more professional respect.
Wrong Answer to the Wrong Question
The edTPA distorts the teacher education process and opens the door to Pearson Inc. reaping more profits and power.