Presented by Dr. Gail Thompson – Transcription Below Introduction Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Illuminate Whiteboard Series. I’m Dr. Gail Thompson. And I am the equity and professional development expert at Illuminate Education. I’m also an author and researcher. Classroom Management Today, I’d like to talk to you about classroom management. During my travels conducting … Continue reading Classroom Management Tips and Tricks
Presented by Dr. Gail Thompson – Transcription Below Introduction Hello everyone. Welcome to the Illuminate Whiteboard Series. I’m Dr. Gail Thompson, Professional Development and Equity Expert at Illuminate Education. I’m also an author and researcher. Today, I want to talk about parent engagement because educators know that parent involvement is important and it’s correlated to … Continue reading Effective Ways to Engage Underserved Students
In recent years, “equity” has become a buzz word and popular topic in K-12 schools, higher education, businesses, and even in religious organizations. A common definition is that whereas “equality” results in giving everyone the same thing, “equity” equates to giving individuals what they need. In schools, equity results in treating all children fairly and … Continue reading Equity: A Practical Guide for Educators
This article was co-authored with Katya Mocalis. For more resources or if you have any questions, please contact her at kmocalis@illuminateed.com or Dr. Gail Thompson at gthompson@illuminateed.com. ***** A high school teacher in Southern California was shocked one day to learn that one of her students had used a permanent marker to draw a swastika on … Continue reading What You Can Do When the Swastika Appears in Your Classroom
During my travels conducting professional development workshops at conferences and in schools throughout the U.S., one of the main complaints that I hear from teachers and school leaders pertains to “student misbehavior.” Although they start their careers with high hopes and a desire to help students succeed, as a result of student misbehavior, many educators—especially those … Continue reading Transform Your Classroom with a Culturally Responsive Curriculum
Victor Villaseñor is a bestselling author of numerous novels and memoirs, including Rain of Gold; Burro Genius: A Memoir; Wild Steps of Heaven; Thirteen Senses: A Memoir; and Macho! Some of his books have been nominated for awards, and at least one is scheduled to be made into a television mini-series. Today, Victor lives … Continue reading An Overlooked Genius: How to Empower Students with Disabilities
Although President Donald Trump has promised to “make America great again,” the truth is that America has never reached its potential to be a great nation for many U.S. residents. This is especially true for its “stepchildren”—students who have been historically underserved by the U.S. public school system. Test scores, graduation rates, dropout rates, grade-level … Continue reading Becoming Fearless, Serious & Strategic About Equity in Schools
At a time when many Americans are preoccupied with the “war of words” between presidential candidates, a different news story captured my attention. For days, I read everything that I could about it. And the more I read, the sadder and angrier I became. The story took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and it contains powerful … Continue reading How to Identify & Combat Child Abuse
During a recent flight that I took from Charlotte to Phoenix, one of my seatmates who was a neonatal unit nurse told me a troubling story about her older brother. She said her brother was a brilliant, functional alcoholic: one who, unfortunately, was never able to recover from a traumatic experience that happened in the first grade. Her … Continue reading Making Schools Safer by Tackling Bullying
The pattern proves true time and time again. Often, behind people who’ve overcome underprivileged backgrounds to achieve distinction with one or more facets of adult life is found an educator (or several) who left an indelible mark of inspiration on an otherwise-threatened upbringing. More often than not, turnaround teachers nurtured potential, instilled resiliency and encouraged … Continue reading The Importance of a Growth Mindset in Turnaround Teachers