Category: Teacher Tuesdays
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Raising girls or Letting them grow up
So, my daughter had lost something valuable to her. I couldn’t find it; I believe someone else took it. My heart was hurting because she was sad when I told her. My black mommy instinct was to fuss, because that is what black parents do. We fuss to hide our frustration, our inability to make […]
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Teaching is a work of heart
Teaching is a work of heartA “never finished, always start”A tough begin no end in sightWhere darkness turns to marvelous lightWhere night and chaos fade awayIlluminated by some dayWhen it clicks and they say to me“I once was blind, but now I see”From start to finish and restartTeaching is a pure work of heart.Kisha GreatJoy […]
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The Danger in Defiance & Disrespect, part 1
As someone one who has made it my mission to make muddy waters clear for students and teachers alike, I am forever looking for ways to make complicated conversations plain and theoretical themes practical. Why do the research if it can’t be used? Why schedule the PD but never come up with the practical protocol […]
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Teacher tired, a redux
Perks of teaching self contained: you’re with the same students all day. Drawbacks of teaching self contained: you’re with the same students all day. Teacher Struggles In parentis locos. Issa thing, more than y’all know.
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When lockdowns happen at schools
Yesterday, we had an actual lockdown. Not a drill—lockdown. What does this mean? It means that my entire class of students sat on the floor waiting for someone to give the all clear. It means that because I ran out of my house a different way, I forgot my keys and my door was perpetually […]
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Rules Without Reasons Reap Rebellion
I am watching the conscious parenting trend and I find that just like all things, life is all about taking the good with the bad. The philosophy has merits that I absolutely rocks with and things that I find to be quite head scratching. One of the head scratchers is simply that I am supposed […]
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Restoration Threads — What NOT to do for opening activities (a lesson in equity/inclusion)
As teachers start the school year, I want to just share this reminder that popped up in my feed. Restoration Threads (a now closed nonprofit—visit their still open instagram) serviced foster kids. This post was very much an excellent eye opening moment for teachers to remember that not all kids are in a happy place, […]
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You Betta GET THINK!
I wrote this in 2014. Some lessons never get old. July 31, 2014 (Facebook post): A couple of months ago, the Holy Spirit impressed upon me to watch what I say–not just in person, but in social media, when I write emails or books or poems: whatever! You know what I found when I started […]
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Parents: Let kids be kids
Word of truth: the world is plenty adept at taking the childhood of young black and brown children away, making them grow up before their time. Don’t add to that. Let kids be kids. Remind them to do kid stuff. Force them to enjoy being children. Keep your adult problems to yourself. Half the issues […]
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Assessing what matters
confession: I am what you would call an educational hippie. I don’t care about content and grades; I care about students understanding how they learn, the act of self reflection, and growth monitoring. See for me? Grades are just a snapshot, a one moment in time, or whatever Whitney Houston was singing. Anybody can get […]
Kisha Creates 