Have you ever sat in a staff meeting where the tension was so thick you can cut it with a knife, where you were not sure if a comment would spark an all-out race riot amongst teachers? Well, three years ago I sat in...
Tag - professional development
When it comes to Black male teachers, the question shouldn’t be, “Do we need to hire more?” We know Black teachers, both men and women, are vital; they are particularly critical to the education of Black and...
One of the main pillars of the Center for Black Educator Development is professional learning, coaching, and mentoring teachers, with an emphasis on early career Black teachers. Teachers are the most important in school factor...
Dear White Teachers of My Black Children: I am a Black mom. I know it’s sometimes hard to decide whether to say Black or African-American. I used to identify as African-American because I loved hearing the reference...
One of the main reasons we launched the Center for Black Educator Development, was to provide professional learning opportunities for current and aspiring Black educators. We were honored to have two fantastic Philly-based team...
Ask me what I think about school discipline and I will give you an answer born out of my time steeped in education tea. A decade ago I campaigned for school board saying I thought children should have safe, orderly, and rigorous...
One teacher reflects on what he and other white educators need to understand as they work to build anti-racist practices and identities. Last year, I realized that I didn’t have my first black teacher until I went to college...
Increasingly, schools are returning to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in order to better understand how to support students. As anyone who has taken an introductory psychology course knows well, Maslow’s psychological theory...
There are six Black male teachers in our school. They represent twelve percent of our classroom teachers. That sounds like only a few (and it is) but in a city where Black men represent four percent of classroom teachers, it...
As a new teacher and career changer, I owe so much to the coaching prowess of Mrs. Yvonne Savior. That’s right, even her name was Savior, and it was her guidance and support that helped me have the impact I sought with my...