KaDeWo - The Joy Advocate

Another article from Huffington Post that I had to repost: "Yesterday's Black Voices Matter Today Nathan Fulcher 09/12/2014 I'm white. Male. In my 30s. College Educated. From Iowa. I also teach African American Literature at a public high school in Los Angeles. Telling that to people I have just met usually gets a second look. I try to reassure them that I'm fully qualified, studied, and prepared to do the job. It sometimes takes a few days and lessons to convince all of my students, but eventually I think most of them get on board. I'm lucky because I love what I teach and I teach what I love. I've done a lot of self-reflection to understand why I love teaching African American Literature as much as I do, but honestly, it doesn't matter. It only matters that I'm able to teach it well and I believe that if you asked the majority of my students, they would hopefully be able to tell you that I am passionate and dedicated to what I teach them. Every y...

After reading this mother's experience with and perspective on the testing that is done in public schools I felt the need to share... "Dear Governor Scott, Mr. Griffin, Mrs. Stewart, David Simmons, Karen Castor Dentel, Mr. Agosto and Mrs. Brouillard and Seminole County School Board Members, I am a parent of five children in Seminole County Schools aged 4 (VPK) to 16. My husband and I are deeply embedded in this community. We are both successful products of Lake Brantley High School and the middle schools that fed into it. I graduated from the University of Georgia in 1995 and came back to Seminole to teach Kindergarten at Pinecrest and Wekiva; he is currently the pitching coach for the Lake Brantley varsity baseball team. Our ties run deep. We stayed here so our kids would be blessed with a similar educational experience and opportunities. This year has been completely disheartening for us.  You see, I’ve been okay with FCAT…show what you know, I get it….some sort of...

Happy Black History Month! Today I am reminded of an undergraduate professor I had who cautioned my cohorts and I to refrain from using phrases like "those kids" when referring to our students. As I (poorly) paraphrase his lecture, he explained that such language is not kind or professional. If you commence with such phrases, they will become a part of your usual conversation about students when talking amongst other faculty, administrators, staff, and when speaking to parents, guardians, community members, student advocates etc. He warned that people who use the term "these kids" are separating themselves from their students. This divide can cause a superiority complex and even a division between the teacher and students - without the teacher's awareness. Creating an unpleasant line of separation between faculty and students affects the culture of the school. I want my students to know that I am an ally, not an enemy. I am thankful for this professor's word...

It is official...I survived my first semester of secondary school teaching! *clinking glasses to toast will apple cider* The job I obtained in November of last year has been a mixture of deep learning, reflecting and rewards. I am thankful for the experience and for the support my colleagues provide. Too many times, I have heard "the first year is the hardest." It eases the mind to know that feeling as if I am failing as an educator is "normal". Lol. There are many things to learn post-graduation as a new contracted high school teacher. (Obviously things a different between districts, states, and regions.) Here are a few things to consider: (Image obtained from: http://www.niu.edu/PubAffairs/RELEASES/2005/july/newteachers.shtml) 1. In addition to fulfilling an assigned "duty" during prep periods, teachers attend weekly professional learning community (PLC) meetings. From what I can gather, no matter if you are a rookie or novice teacher, you must atte...

As I approach the commencement of my online master's program, I am growing more excited and a little anxious. I recognize this is normal. I wanted some information on how to prepare myself and after reading some good tips, I decided to re/post them for my readers...  http://www.campusexplorer.com/college-advice-tips/690AEF5C/How-to-Survive-Your-Online-Masters-Degree-Program/ Remember: You are capable of things far beyond your imagination. Be open to detours the new path provides along this novice journey. Best Regards to achieving your goal of earning an advanced degree! UPDATE: I completed my Saint Joseph University Ed.M in Special Education degree courses in December 2015 and walked May 2016. I was not going to attend graduation initially; however, all the hard work I put forth and the support my immediately family gave warranted a happy ceremony of closure. The work was tedious and at times seemed never ending. Between the January 2014 and December 2015 ...

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT... Here is why I suggest joining a substituting agency post-graduation, for certified educators: I proudly graduated from "the"  Temple University in May (see pride hastags below)! A week after graduating I received my state of Pennsylvania teaching certification and as instructed by my valued College of Education professors and other respected educators, I contacted Kelly Educational Staffing  (also referred to as Kelly Services) to inquire about the process of enrolling with their company for hire. In April I took a day off from student-teaching to attend a job fair for educators at Neumann University, to seek out employers and recruiters. Each agency provided a list of required documents including proof of certification along with transcripts or my degree and the standard clearances. I obtained the contact information and web address for all the local substitute staffing agencies and tacked the do...

Using the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) and Mathematics data, the Texas Education Agency reported vital methods for educators to employ for successfully teaching ELLs academic vocabulary in the "Academic Vocabulary for Fifth-to Seventh-Grade English Language Learners in Texas" article. Many of the things mentioned were included in chapter 9 of Kylene Beers' text When Kids Can't Read: What Teachers Can Do ; however there were some new techniques which I found useful enough to highlight. Students need to learn how words work; therefore, teach root words, prefixes and suffixes. Actively engage students in vocabulary building so they will take ownership of scaffolding their word knowledge -- include an array of visuals. Spend time developing common academic content terms for ELLs. Make time for students to read and to read a variety of texts. Capitalize students' knowledge of their first langua...