Tectonic Plates Rattle In the instance of a #metoo moment or when a sexual dynamic is introduced to an academic, professional or intellectual context, the lens focuses tightly on the two primary people. The focus of that lens follows the tradition that sex occurs behind closed doors. Once we remove that constraint, the damage can…
Tag: teachers
The PH.D. I earned in my sleep
Stress dreams are a reflection of the seen and unseen stress of our waking lives. In general they are not fantasies set in unreal landscapes cavorting with mystical animals. Stress dreams too often are a photocopy of the days – a little blurred, lacking detail, washed out colors but intensified reactions, complex inner narratives, and…
business casual tried to steal my soul
Once a year all the teachers wore shirts from their alma mater colleges which meant jeans could be worn along with the t-shirt or sweatshirt. I walked in on that day in one of ill-fitting dresses I lined up to wear each week and was disappointed to walk into hallways of comfortably dressed colleagues. I…
letter of recommendation to officially leave my professional role
Dear School community, I am writing to recommend Amélie Baker for a longer extension of her time as a writer. Amélie found great fulfillment as a teacher in BPS for ten years. During her time she taught a range of courses, some more successfully than others. She foresees a return to the classroom in the…
yell in the face of treacherous, ugly underwater hidden beasts that rule our society
What strikes me on a daily basis is how much I relied on my role as a teacher to cement my sense of a purpose in this world; that is what I miss the most about teaching. Under the blanket of paperwork, bureaucracy, media criticism, district policies obeyed or ignored, I could always point to…
When Albert Camus Won the Nobel Prize and Thanked His Teacher
When Albert Camus Won the Nobel Prize and Thanked His Teacher. Some more on Camus 19 November 1957 Dear Monsieur Germain, I let the commotion around me these days subside a bit before speaking to you from the bottom of my heart. I have just been given far too great an honor, one I neither…
Even if you are not involved with public schools, this is still a GREAT infographic and evidence of how grassroots organizing can operate as a teaching tool.
let’s play a game – spot the hypocrisy
Bill Gates makes his fortune on new technologies – both hardware and software. Bill Gates uses a small portion of his gigantic fortune to fund “education reform”. He throws money at every new, shiny idea that comes across his desk – small schools, technology in the classroom, the Common Core, and educating for global competencies….
letter to my teens
When I am here, within these wall, and in conversation with you, I am in the role of a teacher. That role has certain privileges and responsibilities. But I am also a community member of the city of Boston, and know the ins and outs of this place. When meetings like this one happen, it…
hey, so by the way, you are racist
A recent article in the guardian put words and a definition to how racism has mutated: “Gone is the overt, violent, and legal racism of my childhood. It has been replaced by a subtler version. It is a racism that is easier to ignore, easier to deny, and consequently almost as dangerous.” – Chris Arnade http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/12/america-racism-subtle-dangerous-new-york…
politics and schools
Listening to politicians speak about education is a practice in ironic vacancy. It is the easiest topic for practice in shining your own apple. There are few missteps a slick politician can slip on when challenged by questions such as, “do you support arts in the school, and how will you expand the supporter?” I…
the medusa of schools
Schools are a complicated place. We often theorize about the public – public policy, public transportation, public news alert, but most of our time is spent away from the public, in some structured and defined space that we determine the parameters of. the public encompasses the masses at an intersection of people, with varying investments,…
collective failure 