School is hard. The demands are higher than the demands teachers had on them when they were students. The school day can become overly rigorous and robotic, draining the fun for students, but educators are resilient. Despite letting high stakes testing and other demands completely dampen their classes, many educators have fun ways to add […]
Educator Barnes
Educator Barnes is a middle school dean and adjunct college professor. Previously, she served as an elementary library/media specialist, an elementary and high school literacy coach, a middle and high school English/Language Arts teacher, and a K-5 English as a New Language teacher. Shawnta is an education writer and editor for Indy K12, a publication under the Citizen Education network. She is also the winner of the 2019 Indiana Black Expo Excellence in Education Journalism Award.
Posted inTeacherEdprenur
Opinion: Don’t Blindly Follow Edu-Celebrities
In each profession, there are people who rise to high visibility and prominence. There is an aspect of these people’s personalities and abilities that captivate others. The more people are captivated, the more they continue to rise…but should they? They say fake it until you make it, and some are still faking it, taking others […]
Posted inProfessional Development
Veteran Teachers Need Choice & Customized Professional Development
I completed 13 years as an educator when I wrapped up last school year. I don’t know exactly what year this took place, but at some point, I crossed over to being labeled a veteran educator. When you are considered a veteran educator, colleagues begin to view you as an expert in your craft and […]
Posted inTeacher Self Care
Five Gems of Knowledge I Learned at the Annual Teacher Self-Care Conference
The third annual Teacher Self-Care Conference was held in Atlanta on Friday, June 21-Saturday, June 22. Educators from across the United States and Canada were present. Although I was one of the presenters at the conference, I learned much from other presenters and educators in attendance. Below, I have included five gems I learned during […]
Posted inLegal
Copyright Violations in the Classroom: When Beg, Borrow, and Steal Turns into a Crime
When you are a newbie teacher entering the profession, a veteran will pull you to the side and say, “It is okay to beg, borrow, and steal.” It is a teacher right of passage to be told this knowledge and to implement it. Because many schools across the United States are lacking the appropriate resources […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
Silent Compliance, not Honesty is Wanted in Education
I love to write, so I say more in written form than I tend to say in person. I acknowledge that I am an introvert, but I’m not shy. If I feel the need to verbalize an opinion, I will. Unfortunately, you don’t have to work in education for too to realize that honest feedback […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Why School Father & Daughter Dances are Antiquated
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Besides being bombarded with reminders to agree to bring an item for the Valentine’s Day class party on Sign-Up Genius, parents are also sent flyers about the father and daughter dance. As our society continues to change, our schools remain stagnant and keep hanging onto antiquated ideas. I […]
Posted inOpinion
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Should Not Be an Inclement Weather Makeup Day
I was born and raised in Indiana, and I still reside in Indiana today. One fact about Indiana is at some point the weather will get bad enough to delay or even cancel school. When I was a kid, if school was canceled, days were added to the end of the school year. Now, as […]