Beth Barnes is the embodiment of a “teacher.” Her glasses smartly frame her face, and her brown curls are ponytailed atop her head.  She is only missing a bright red apple to complement her aesthetic. Physicality aside, when speaking to Beth, she has a warmth and passion that spills intoRead More

In March, an American educator was awarded the highest honor in teaching – the inaugural Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize, which some have called the “Nobel Prize of Teaching.” Nancie Atwell of Edgecomb, Maine, is the founder of the Center for Teaching and Learning, an independent private school. At theRead More

In most professions, a planner is utilized and organized based on the needs of its user. Highlighters block off hours to indicate an average level of busyness and remind one of the time needed for meetings and collaboration. However, Gawker recently asked teachers to be brutally honest about what theirRead More

Last August I interviewed for a one-year visiting professor position at Texas A&M’s political science department.[1] The position involved teaching three courses each term in introductory American Politics and Texas politics. The courses were large lectures, with 300 students apiece without teaching assistants. The lacks of TAs surprised me, becauseRead More

Last month The Atlantic published an article by Amanda Machado, entitled: Why Teachers of Color Quit, which she followed up with an interview segment on NPR. In the article and interview, Machado outlines the three reasons she walked away from the profession of teaching: a lack of cultural sensitivity byRead More