Calling an awareness to the adversity that so many of our students are bringing into our classrooms, this adversity that shows itself as an obstacle to learning, is one huge step in creating an inclusive school culture, conducive to optimal learning and promoting positive relationships, therefore improving educational outcomes. It’s…

“Every time a child is saved from the dark side of life, every time one of us makes the effort to make a difference in a child’s life, we add light and healing to our own lives.” — Oprah Winfrey Childhood trauma isn’t something kids just get over as they…

“I became a teacher for the money and the fame,” said no teacher ever. I saw that on a t-shirt once. Teachers understand long before beginning their careers that there’s not a lot of money in the profession. Money is never the incentive for choosing a teaching career. …

I was never encouraged in my upbringing to be a risk taker. In fact, it was always the opposite. My father always warned me not to challenge the status quo, not to go outside the box, not to take a jump. Save your money; don’t spent it. Stay at home…

Life is a classroom and my students are my teachers. There is indeed so much we can learn from watching children live through their life experiences, and teaching in an impoverished area has been an eye-opener for me, to say the least. Over the years, I’ve seen countless wonderful, caring…

Today marks the two year anniversary of my mother’s transition, when she finally gave in to the disease. She lived with cancer for 39 years. …

“I think the Lower East Side inspires me. That whole neighborhood, a lot of the people I worked with, seeing what we’ve gone through in life, being given an opportunity to understand who I am; my identity, my culture, and my roots.” — Luis Guzman I love the rich culture…

I am a teacher. I am an author, a speaker, and an advocate for students and teachers. I am an educator. I have been educating underprivileged students living in low socio-economic communities for twenty-three years now. Advocating for the social and emotional aspects of learning in the classroom, and for…

“Tell your story…” is what Medium.com has its writers begin their writing with. It’s those three words we start at when we sit down to write. We tell stories. We write what matters to us. We share. And most importantly, we connect when we share. So, what’s your story? Julia…