Author: Andi D

  • One Body, Many Parts

    September 10, 2024 It would appear that the words “diversity, equity, and inclusion” have been bad words for a long time. Consider Jesus, who was persecuted for ministering to those deemed unclean or undesirable. The apostle Paul continued to urge the church of Corinth to unite with all believers, regardless of whether they were Jews…

  • The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System–and How to Fix it

    by Natalie Wexler Reviewed on December 16, 2023 When I first checked out this audiobook from my library app, I was standing in the hall of my high school during passing period, chatting with the teachers from the classrooms next door. This book had just popped up in a search on my app, and I…

  • The Fountain of Youth

    Written May, 2023 I have discovered the Fountain of Youth.  It’s quite simple.  It’s the joy of discovery. Think about the last time you tried to take a 2-year-old on a walk.  Place yourself at that moment:  the sweet sunshine that’s bright enough to make you smile but not so bright that you need sunglasses,…

  • Praise as Medicine

    Written December 22, 2023 I think I’m getting a little looney in my old age. Does anybody else do this? Does anybody else talk to themselves, especially while driving, and rehearse conversations you anticipate having in the future? Or maybe, do you rehash previous conversations, restating what you truly meant and hope the other person…

  • The Plans He Has For Me

    Written October, 2023 It starts as I reach toward the coffee pot sitting on my kitchen counter.  I’ve been holding it in, just under the surface, until now. The shaking. The trembling. The terror. My hands move like the hands of a junkie – unsteady, weak, nervous with an unpredictable electric energy. It’s the moment…

  • Elevating Equity and Justice: 10 U.S. Supreme Court Cases Every Teacher Should Know

    by Robert Kim Reviewed December 6, 2023 I turned slowly, a tiny ballerina in a tarnished music box, frozen by the confrontation of my next step. I was looking for something that would help me know what to do. You see, the longer I teach, the more complicated and difficult this job gets. Most of…

  • Motherwit: An Alabama Midwife’s Story

    By Onnie Lee Logan as told to Katherine Clark Reviewed on November 19, 2023 This is the story of Onnie Lee Logan, a Black Alabama midwife born in 1910. The state of Alabama forced her to retire in 1981 when the state refused to renew any midwife licenses that year. She told her story of…

  • “A” Is For “Audience”

    “Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services.” Nehemiah 13:14 Every year, I teach argumentative writing. One of the most important aspects of analyzing or writing arguments is to know the audience. As readers, when we…

  • A Servant of God’s Children

    January 20, 2023 “So, how are your students this year?” My eyes cast down, I took a deep breath, and my head began to nod.  “Each one is a child of God,” I replied. We were sitting in the Missouri Baptist University Dale Williams Fine Arts Center, grappling with one of those icebreakers we educators…

  • Who is the servanTeacher?

    The following poem was written on November 16, 2023, at a NCTE session with Peter Kahn, teacher and facilitator of some pretty amazing poetry work with his students. I recommend checking out their book and the website linked in the pictures below. At this session, the audience was invited to write a poem. The prompt:…