"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." – Maya Angelou
I was such a COVID denier at first. I remember a friend and colleague wearing a goofy sweater on March 17th. It's her "Last Day of School" sweater. I told her, "Oh please, I'll see you in a couple weeks." I really believed we would be back to business as usual after our spring break,... Continue Reading →
We are still facing dual pandemics as I write this days before the 2020 presidential election cutoff. COVID-19 is gearing up for another strike and racism isn't slowing down either. Both are killing Americans. And both are keeping people isolated, broken, and unwell. I am no longer in the classroom, in the literal sense of... Continue Reading →
I really identify with the term "liberal snowflake." I suppose it is meant to be an insult, but I really treasure the uniqueness and value of each human being, and I want everyone to have access to resources that serve their physical and emotional well-being. I am in a new role as a racial equity... Continue Reading →
For those of you who subscribe to Netflix or see friends posting about race, you may know right away that this post is a direct reflection of my experience from watching Ava DuVernay's mini-series When They See Us, a retelling of the 1989 Central Park Jogger case from the perspective of the five once convicted, now... Continue Reading →
Teaching is such an underappreciated profession. The pay sucks. I can't go to the bathroom whenever I need to, you know, use the bathroom. I sit in meetings that are the exact opposite of best practice when it comes to learning (sit in rows, listen to one person talk at the front, etc). I have... Continue Reading →
This year, I am teaching seniors, many of whom I taught when they were in ninth grade. This fall we read Angie Thomas' The Hate U Give, and took a field trip to see the film adaptation. As a white woman, I have learned not to be surprised anymore by the trauma I feel in my... Continue Reading →
At the end of the last school year, I posed a question to my two classes of sophomores. I asked them if anyone would be open to me shadowing them for a full school day. Only two of my students seemed interested, and I ended up agreeing to spend the day with the one who... Continue Reading →
In August of 2013, I interviewed for a 0.3 FTE (full time employment) English Teacher position and got the job. During workshop week, it was bumped up to 0.5 FTE, and the day before school started, it was bumped to a 0.9 FTE with a new prep altogether. I was 22 years old, newly married,... Continue Reading →
At one of SEED classes this past year, our overarching topic was special education: with sub-topics ranging from birth through adulthood, disparities that can be found, and purposes for services. I'll admit- special education is beyond complicated and seems to carry a lot of negative baggage. Until I had the opportunity to co-teach with a... Continue Reading →
I attended my final SEED class for the year last week and it was about adverse childhood experiences and how they inform a student's ability to learn at school. I have to admit I was a bit unenthusiastic about the topic (yes, I know how awful that sounds) because I felt that I have already... Continue Reading →
bekah noble 