To many in the field, a poor first year of teaching is the first step in an accepted, almost ritualistic career timeline. Perspectives on a teacher’s first year seem to have shifted, though, since my generation entered the workforce.

After teaching high school reading intervention courses for many years, I know that starting with a novel is a mistake—it’s too long. Instead, I use urban legends.

It's nice to think of the Internet as a wonderful invention that has made our lives both richer and more efficient. It's a nice notion and it's an accurate one—the Internet has changed our lives for the better. We can now communicate with people from all four corners of the globe. We can share, swap, and gain as much knowledge as we could ever want or need. There are no negatives associated with instant knowledge—or are there?

I was recently involved with an art exhibition in the Thanet District of Kent, England, that helped students see themselves as artists, advocates, and changemakers.

“I went into teaching so that I could help children perform well on standardized testing,” said no teacher, ever.

Students perform better when they experience a stable environment with consistent relationships. One way to achieve this is through looping.

It is my job to motivate and mold my students, to keep them engaged, to build reading and writing confidence in all who enter my virtual classroom.

A day as a teacher is filled with unpredictability, split-second decisions, and a go-go-go mentality that begins as soon as students set foot in the building. In a day like that, a meeting is a brief respite.

We may believe we are creating inclusive, “multicultural” teaching environments, all while being completely unaware of the systemic racism that still impacts our students.