by Trevor Barton | Aug 28, 2012 | Opinion
“Teachers are builders,” said my friend. “You build safe learning environments for your students. You build safe spaces for your parents. You build knowledge and experience for yourselves. You build community with each other. You are builders.”...
by Trevor Barton | Aug 21, 2012 | Opinion
My elementary school is a Title I school. About 97 percent of our students qualify for free and reduced lunch and Medicaid. Research shows us that many children raised in poverty struggle to learn to read. Common sense tells us that children who don’t learn to...
by Trevor Barton | Jul 20, 2012 | Opinion
My students had questions about the central character in the story “Fly Away Home” written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Ronald Himler. And even as second-graders, they knew something about the problem. “Homelessness is mean,” said James. ...
by Trevor Barton | Jul 17, 2012 | Opinion
Every morning, Leo’s smile brightens the cafeteria at my elementary school. He hobbles in, holding his teacher’s hand. His eyes squint at the bright lights. He squirms at loud noises. And always, he smiles. “Good morning, Leo,” I say as I rub...
by Trevor Barton | Jun 8, 2012 | Opinion
Washing dishes. This is how I remember Momadu. Washing dishes is a chore, you know. In the pre-dishwasher days in America, my mom put “wash the dishes” on her children’s list of things to do every day. We washed them, obediently though begrudgingly....
