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Truth for Teachers

Writers & Contributors

Meet the K-12 educators who share
our resources and ideas here

Angela Watson

Truth for Teachers writer and founder

Angela created the first version of this site in 2003, when she was a classroom teacher herself. With 11 years of teaching experience and more than a decade of experience as an instructional coach, Angela oversees and contributes regularly to the resource collection here and hosts the Truth for Teachers podcast.

ABOUT ANGELA

BROWSE ARTICLES BY ANGELA

Meet the Writers

Tina Barber

Writing and ELA

Tina Barber is a skill-based educator at Cherokee Trail High School in Aurora, Colorado who believes that all students and...

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Jay Benedith

Equity Leader & Coach

Jay is a progressive educator and a passionate equity leader in New York City! Through J. Benedith Coaching Services, she...

Learn More About This Writer

Jennifer Brinkmeyer

7th-12th Grade ELA

Iowa City,
IA

17 Years
Experience

Jennifer is currently working with students and teachers on building-wide academic inclusion. Her passion is building literacy supports that include...

Learn More About This Writer

Becky Burley

Truth for Teachers Writer

Becky Burley is an educator with 18 years experience teaching middle school social studies in a public magnet program in...

Learn More About This Writer

Kyair Butts

Truth for Teachers Writer

Kyair was the 2019 Teacher of the Year for Baltimore City Public Schools. His work has included curriculum development with...

Learn More About This Writer

Tia Butts

High School ELA

Tia Butts has a Master's degree in Secondary Teacher Education. She has been teaching English for eight years at the...

Learn More About This Writer

Catherine Eisel-Elder

Truth for Teachers Writer

Catherine Eisel-Elder grew up in central Georgia and currently works in the metro Atlanta area. She has worked with kids...

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Megan Faherty

High School History/Social Studies

Megan is in her 17th year of teaching high school social studies, including world history, European history, and psychology. She...

Learn More About This Writer

Brianna Frerich

Truth for Teachers Writer

Brianna Frerich is an 8th grade math teacher in Oklahoma City where she lives with her husband and two young...

Learn More About This Writer

Tecora Jenkins

Truth for Teachers Writer

Hello! I'm Tecora and I’m a middle school English teacher, furbaby mama, and proud enneagram six. I love the English...

Learn More About This Writer

Molly K. Beck

Truth for Teachers Writer

Molly Beck is in her eleventh year of teaching social studies at Ladue Horton Watkins High School in Saint Louis,...

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Kim Lepre

Truth for Teachers Writer

Kim Lepre teaches English Language Arts and is the founder of the Teachers Need Teachers podcast.

Learn More About This Writer

Katie McGrath

Middle School Instructional Coach

Katie McGrath is a middle school instructional coach in the Paramus Public Schools. Prior to coaching, she taught middle school...

Learn More About This Writer

Marguerite Redelfs

Truth for Teachers Writer

Marguerite has taught middle grades Language Arts and Social Studies for 5 years. She is currently teaching 8th-grade Humanities and...

Learn More About This Writer

Shelly S. Budziszewski

Truth for Teachers Writer

Shelly has been a teacher since 2010 and is currently an elementary teacher at a rural school in Western New...

Learn More About This Writer

Alissa Alteri Shea

1st Grade

Alissa Alteri Shea is an instructional coach at a K-6 elementary school in Vernon, Vermont. She began her teaching career...

Learn More About This Writer

Sara Singer

High School Special Education

Sara is a high school special education teacher on Chicago’s South Side. She loves to co-teach and support students with...

Learn More About This Writer

Samantha Smith

Truth for Teachers Writer

Samantha Smith is a 1st-grade teacher and School Improvement Team member at a large suburban school district in Illinois. Her...

Learn More About This Writer

Amy Stohs

2nd Grade

Amy Stohs is currently a 2nd grade teacher in Northern Virginia. She was named Teacher of the Year in 2019...

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Amy Voigt

Truth for Teachers Writer

I have been teaching high school mathematics in Maple Lake, MN for 26 years. I have also been coaching volleyball...

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Erika Walther

5th Grade ELA

Erika Walther has worked for Baltimore City Public Schools since 2012. While working as a case manager for youth in...

Learn More About This Writer

Houa Yang-Xiong

Gr. 3-5 ESOL

Houa is currently an elementary English Speaker of Other Languages (ESOL) teacher working students in grades 3-5 of various backgrounds,...

Learn More About This Writer

Tina Barber

Writing and ELA

Tina Barber is a skill-based educator at Cherokee Trail High School in Aurora, Colorado who believes that all students and...

Learn More About This Writer

Jay Benedith

Equity Leader & Coach

Jay is a progressive educator and a passionate equity leader in New York City! Through J. Benedith Coaching Services, she...

Learn More About This Writer

Jennifer Brinkmeyer

7th-12th Grade ELA

Iowa City,
IA

17 Years
Experience

Jennifer is currently working with students and teachers on building-wide academic inclusion. Her passion is building literacy supports that include...

Learn More About This Writer

Becky Burley

Truth for Teachers Writer

Becky Burley is an educator with 18 years experience teaching middle school social studies in a public magnet program in...

Learn More About This Writer

Tia Butts

High School ELA

Tia Butts has a Master's degree in Secondary Teacher Education. She has been teaching English for eight years at the...

Learn More About This Writer

Kyair Butts

Truth for Teachers Writer

Kyair was the 2019 Teacher of the Year for Baltimore City Public Schools. His work has included curriculum development with...

Learn More About This Writer

Megan Faherty

High School History/Social Studies

Megan is in her 17th year of teaching high school social studies, including world history, European history, and psychology. She...

Learn More About This Writer

Brianna Frerich

Truth for Teachers Writer

Brianna Frerich is an 8th grade math teacher in Oklahoma City where she lives with her husband and two young...

Learn More About This Writer

Tecora Jenkins

Truth for Teachers Writer

Hello! I'm Tecora and I’m a middle school English teacher, furbaby mama, and proud enneagram six. I love the English...

Learn More About This Writer

Kim Lepre

Truth for Teachers Writer

Kim Lepre teaches English Language Arts and is the founder of the Teachers Need Teachers podcast.

Learn More About This Writer

Katie McGrath

Middle School Instructional Coach

Katie McGrath is a middle school instructional coach in the Paramus Public Schools. Prior to coaching, she taught middle school...

Learn More About This Writer

Marguerite Redelfs

Truth for Teachers Writer

Marguerite has taught middle grades Language Arts and Social Studies for 5 years. She is currently teaching 8th-grade Humanities and...

Learn More About This Writer

Shelly S. Budziszewski

Truth for Teachers Writer

Shelly has been a teacher since 2010 and is currently an elementary teacher at a rural school in Western New...

Learn More About This Writer

Alissa Alteri Shea

1st Grade

Alissa Alteri Shea is an instructional coach at a K-6 elementary school in Vernon, Vermont. She began her teaching career...

Learn More About This Writer

Sara Singer

High School Special Education

Sara is a high school special education teacher on Chicago’s South Side. She loves to co-teach and support students with...

Learn More About This Writer

Samantha Smith

Truth for Teachers Writer

Samantha Smith is a 1st-grade teacher and School Improvement Team member at a large suburban school district in Illinois. Her...

Learn More About This Writer

Amy Stohs

2nd Grade

Amy Stohs is currently a 2nd grade teacher in Northern Virginia. She was named Teacher of the Year in 2019...

Learn More About This Writer

Erika Walther

5th Grade ELA

Erika Walther has worked for Baltimore City Public Schools since 2012. While working as a case manager for youth in...

Learn More About This Writer

Houa Yang-Xiong

Gr. 3-5 ESOL

Houa is currently an elementary English Speaker of Other Languages (ESOL) teacher working students in grades 3-5 of various backgrounds,...

Learn More About This Writer

LATEST ARTICLES

Meet our Contributors

In addition to our team of regular writers, we’ve also selected a larger group of educators to offer additional perspectives that might otherwise be missed.

Explore all Articles

Sally Bergquist

Writing Instructional Coach

Sally helps teachers in grades K-2 close the achievement gap in writing skills. She is a strong advocate for writing instruction in the early grades, and believes that learning to write is as important as learning math and reading in...
Browse Articles by Sally

Leah Bouas

High School History/Social Studies

Leah has taught high school Social Studies in Texas for 11 years, most recently AP World History, AP US History, and African American History. She holds a master's degree in Prevention Science and Practice and has a passion for social-emotional...
Browse Articles by Leah

Alissa Bratz

French Teacher, Global Ed Coordinator, Instructional Coach

Alissa is a National Board Certified Teacher, linguist, and Global Education coordinator with nearly 2 decades of public school classroom teaching and instructional coaching experience. She has also worked as a teacher, coach, and trainer in disciplines ranging from classical...
Browse Articles by Alissa

Candace Brown

Secondary ELA

Candace Brown is a Secondary English and Yearbook teacher at an international Christian school in Taiwan. She has been published in literary magazines with the University of Arkansas, The Sagebrush Review, and Sonder Midwest. She has helped students publish their...
Browse Articles by Candace

Deanna Bryan

Language and Literature Middle School Teacher

Deanna is a mother, theater-lover, and devoted teacher! She loves listening to educational podcasts and inserting song into everyday conversation. Forever Go Blue!
Browse Articles by Deanna

Kyle Cohen

4th Grade Teacher

Kyle is a 4th grade teacher in Cleveland, Ohio, working on educational leadership.
Browse Articles by Kyle

Madeline Newton Driscoll

8th Grade ELA

Madeline is a Minnesotan transplant to Brooklyn via DC. She loves to read, and believes in the power of education to empower and the power of teachers and students to cause massive change.
Browse Articles by Madeline

Lisa Edinger

Elementary Art Teacher

Lisa is a passionate believer in the positive impact of education and has taught students at various elementary grades for 23 years. She loves helping kids and colleagues find joy by discovering and engaging in their creative strengths. Besides teaching,...
Browse Articles by Lisa

Dr. Laura Fitzpatrick

6th Gr ELA

Dr. Laura Fitzpatrick has been a sixth grade English Language Arts teacher for the past eight years. She earned an M.A. in Special Education and Ed.D. in Inquiry-Based Learning, where her research primarily centered on teacher burnout. Dr. Fitzpatrick lives...
Browse Articles by Dr.

Melissa Forbes

Instructional coach, MTSS coordinator

Melissa Forbes is an instructional coach, MTSS coordinator, and writer. She’s taught English, journalism, and work experience, as well as coordinated high school dual enrollment and school-to-work programs. Melissa writes about her experiences both in and out of the classroom...
Browse Articles by Melissa

Taylor Funk

Middle School Math & Science Teacher

Taylor Funk teaches in suburban Michigan. Passionate about teacher wellness, she curates a collection of mental health strategies she has named, "Emotional Sunscreen" (emotionalsunscreen.squarespace.com). In her spare time, she enjoys long walks with her short-legged dog, Graham, making bread, and...
Browse Articles by Taylor

Laura Gellin

ELA Teacher

With a Masters in English, a Certificate in Teaching Writing, and over 15 years of experience in the classroom, Laura is a full-time English teacher who prioritizes student engagement without sacrificing rigor. She has presented at numerous national and regional conferences, was...
Browse Articles by Laura

Victoria Hanson

K-3 Educator

Victoria Hanson is currently traveling and teaching in a variety of ways, working more closely with students and educators in the realm of mindfulness education.
Browse Articles by Victoria

Samantha Heil

ELA Teacher

Samantha Heil is an English Language Arts teacher in Maryland. She is passionate about literacy and loves to find creative ways to engage readers and writers. Through her blog, Samantha in Secondary, Samantha has found a network of ELA teachers...
Browse Articles by Samantha

Caitlin Hilzer

Music/Theater Educator

Caitlin has taught music and theatre to K-12 students in both traditional and Montessori classroom settings. Caitlin is also an active oboist, actress, and music director in the Denver area. An alternate approach, where teachers co-construct community and rules with...
Browse Articles by Caitlin

Courtney Jones

5th/6th Gr Literacy

Courtney is known for engaging students through discussions of anime, video games, cats, and proficient use of sarcasm and honesty. She's working to balance and blend her passions around education, public health policy, and equity.
Browse Articles by Courtney

Mary Beth Kester.

5th Grade Teacher

Mary Beth has a degree in Middle Childhood Education, and a Masters in Science Education. She has taught in the United States, Mexico, and Kuwait. When she's not at school, she enjoys skiing, biking, and hanging out with her family.
Browse Articles by Mary

Meagan Kimm

1st Grade Teacher

Meagan is a cofounder of Ambitious Ed. LLC. She is the cohost of two podcasts, Cafeteria Confidence (for tweens, teens, and the people who love them), and Real Teaching 101 (everything your teacher prep didn't prepare you for). You can...
Browse Articles by Meagan

Jessica Kirkland

Truth for Teachers Contributor

Jessica Kirkland is a 9th/10th grade English teacher in Virginia, who feels lucky to spend her days teaching and learning from high school kids. She is the most disruptive student in her classes.
Browse Articles by Jessica

Lindsey Lush

K-5 Teacher

Lindsey is a public school educator with 16 years experience in Kindergarten through 5th grade classrooms. She has an M.Ed in English Education with a focus on Children’s Literature and Language Arts and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Educational...
Browse Articles by Lindsey

Tricia Maher

Gr 11-12 Literature Teacher

Tricia teaches sophomore American Literature and junior British Literature at Archmere Academy in Claymont, DE where she also serves as the moderator for the school newspaper. She has taught high school English for almost twenty years in the Washington, DC,...
Browse Articles by Tricia

Marissa Minnick

Middle School Science Teacher

Marissa Minnick is a middle school science teacher in Durham, NC who is currently a graduate student in Appalachian State University’s School Administration program. Marissa is passionate about creating sustainable workplace practices that increase teacher retention and efficiency. Marissa enjoys...
Browse Articles by Marissa

Gerardo Munoz

AP World History + Social Studies

Gerardo Muñoz teaches AP World History and a variety of social studies electives in Denver, CO. He welcomes full community participation in his classroom. He has undergraduate degrees in history and Latin American Studies from the University of Colorado–Boulder and...
Browse Articles by Gerardo

Kathleen Palmieri

5th Grade NBCT

Kathleen Palmieri is a National Board Certified Teacher and NBCT Professional Learning facilitator. She is a fifth grade educator and writer in upstate New York With a passion for literacy and learning in the classroom, she participates in various writing...
Browse Articles by Kathleen

Melissa Pilon

Gr 6-8 ELA

Melissa Pilon has been teaching middle school ELA in Depew, New York for 21 years. It is her passion to help students discover that one book that will turn them into life-long readers. In her free time, Melissa spends time...
Browse Articles by Melissa

Kelly Rao

Middle School Teacher

Kelly Rao is a teacher, writer, and avid traveler. A cancer survivor, she has spent the past ten years of her life becoming a personal development junkie focused on emotional empowerment. If she isn’t spending time with her family and...
Browse Articles by Kelly

Stephanie Reece

5th Gr Literacy & Social Studies

Stephanie has been teaching for seven years. She has taught 4th-6th grade, and is currently teaching 5th grade Literacy and Social Studies in Iowa. Stephanie joined the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club in January 2018.
Browse Articles by Stephanie

Francesca Roley

8th/9th Gr ELA

Francesca M. Roley currently teaches 8th and 9th grade English at Pennfield Middle School. Previously, she taught middle school English, middle school History, high school English, and SAT Prep at schools in Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs since graduating from...
Browse Articles by Francesca

Jennifer Schwartz

Elementary Teacher

Jennifer Schwartz is an elementary school teacher who lives in Ontario, Canada, with her husband and extremely busy one-year-old son. A proud graduate of both the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek and Queen’s University, Jennifer loves Jesus, extended family dinners (that...
Browse Articles by Jennifer

Cindy Shapiro

Teacher & Instructional Coach

Cindy Shapiro has been a teacher since 2001, with a two-year stint as an instructional coach, too. She believes in the work that teachers do, and is a big believer in collaboration and the power of "we." In 2020, she...
Browse Articles by Cindy

Whittney Tomczyk

Gr 3-12 Teacher

Whittney has certifications in both elementary and secondary education with endorsements in English Language Arts and Gifted Ed with experience in grades three through twelve.
Browse Articles by Whittney

Dan Tricarico

High School ELA

Dan has been a high school English teacher for over twenty-five years and is the author of The Zen Teacher: Creating Focus, Simplicity, and Tranquility in the Classroom (DBC, Inc. 2015), and Sanctuaries: Self-Care Secrets for Stressed Out Teachers (DBC,...
Browse Articles by Dan

Elisa Waingort

Middle School Spanish

I am a Spanish Bilingual teacher writer who teaches middle grade students in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I have taught in a variety of countries and situations throughout my 35+ years in education. My biggest asset is the students I have...
Browse Articles by Elisa

Amanda Werner

ELA Teacher

Amanda Werner has been a teacher for thirteen years and still feels like a novice. Every year is a unique and exciting challenge to inspire a new group of students to become avid readers and writers. Amanda reads educational literature...
Browse Articles by Amanda

Sally Bergquist

Writing Instructional Coach

Sally helps teachers in grades K-2 close the achievement gap in writing skills. She is a strong advocate for writing instruction in the early grades, and believes that learning to write is as important as learning math and reading in...
Browse Articles by Sally

Leah Bouas

High School History/Social Studies

Leah has taught high school Social Studies in Texas for 11 years, most recently AP World History, AP US History, and African American History. She holds a master's degree in Prevention Science and Practice and has a passion for social-emotional...
Browse Articles by Leah

Alissa Bratz

French Teacher, Global Ed Coordinator, Instructional Coach

Alissa is a National Board Certified Teacher, linguist, and Global Education coordinator with nearly 2 decades of public school classroom teaching and instructional coaching experience. She has also worked as a teacher, coach, and trainer in disciplines ranging from classical...
Browse Articles by Alissa

Candace Brown

Secondary ELA

Candace Brown is a Secondary English and Yearbook teacher at an international Christian school in Taiwan. She has been published in literary magazines with the University of Arkansas, The Sagebrush Review, and Sonder Midwest. She has helped students publish their...
Browse Articles by Candace

Deanna Bryan

Language and Literature Middle School Teacher

Deanna is a mother, theater-lover, and devoted teacher! She loves listening to educational podcasts and inserting song into everyday conversation. Forever Go Blue!
Browse Articles by Deanna

Kyle Cohen

4th Grade Teacher

Kyle is a 4th grade teacher in Cleveland, Ohio, working on educational leadership.
Browse Articles by Kyle

Madeline Newton Driscoll

8th Grade ELA

Madeline is a Minnesotan transplant to Brooklyn via DC. She loves to read, and believes in the power of education to empower and the power of teachers and students to cause massive change.
Browse Articles by Madeline

Dr. Laura Fitzpatrick

6th Gr ELA

Dr. Laura Fitzpatrick has been a sixth grade English Language Arts teacher for the past eight years. She earned an M.A. in Special Education and Ed.D. in Inquiry-Based Learning, where her research primarily centered on teacher burnout. Dr. Fitzpatrick lives...
Browse Articles by Dr.

Melissa Forbes

Instructional coach, MTSS coordinator

Melissa Forbes is an instructional coach, MTSS coordinator, and writer. She’s taught English, journalism, and work experience, as well as coordinated high school dual enrollment and school-to-work programs. Melissa writes about her experiences both in and out of the classroom...
Browse Articles by Melissa

Taylor Funk

Middle School Math & Science Teacher

Taylor Funk teaches in suburban Michigan. Passionate about teacher wellness, she curates a collection of mental health strategies she has named, "Emotional Sunscreen" (emotionalsunscreen.squarespace.com). In her spare time, she enjoys long walks with her short-legged dog, Graham, making bread, and...
Browse Articles by Taylor

Laura Gellin

ELA Teacher

With a Masters in English, a Certificate in Teaching Writing, and over 15 years of experience in the classroom, Laura is a full-time English teacher who prioritizes student engagement without sacrificing rigor. She has presented at numerous national and regional conferences, was...
Browse Articles by Laura

Victoria Hanson

K-3 Educator

Victoria Hanson is currently traveling and teaching in a variety of ways, working more closely with students and educators in the realm of mindfulness education.
Browse Articles by Victoria

Samantha Heil

ELA Teacher

Samantha Heil is an English Language Arts teacher in Maryland. She is passionate about literacy and loves to find creative ways to engage readers and writers. Through her blog, Samantha in Secondary, Samantha has found a network of ELA teachers...
Browse Articles by Samantha

Caitlin Hilzer

Music/Theater Educator

Caitlin has taught music and theatre to K-12 students in both traditional and Montessori classroom settings. Caitlin is also an active oboist, actress, and music director in the Denver area. An alternate approach, where teachers co-construct community and rules with...
Browse Articles by Caitlin

Courtney Jones

5th/6th Gr Literacy

Courtney is known for engaging students through discussions of anime, video games, cats, and proficient use of sarcasm and honesty. She's working to balance and blend her passions around education, public health policy, and equity.
Browse Articles by Courtney

Lindsey Lush

K-5 Teacher

Lindsey is a public school educator with 16 years experience in Kindergarten through 5th grade classrooms. She has an M.Ed in English Education with a focus on Children’s Literature and Language Arts and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Educational...
Browse Articles by Lindsey

Tricia Maher

Gr 11-12 Literature Teacher

Tricia teaches sophomore American Literature and junior British Literature at Archmere Academy in Claymont, DE where she also serves as the moderator for the school newspaper. She has taught high school English for almost twenty years in the Washington, DC,...
Browse Articles by Tricia

Marissa Minnick

Middle School Science Teacher

Marissa Minnick is a middle school science teacher in Durham, NC who is currently a graduate student in Appalachian State University’s School Administration program. Marissa is passionate about creating sustainable workplace practices that increase teacher retention and efficiency. Marissa enjoys...
Browse Articles by Marissa

Gerardo Munoz

AP World History + Social Studies

Gerardo Muñoz teaches AP World History and a variety of social studies electives in Denver, CO. He welcomes full community participation in his classroom. He has undergraduate degrees in history and Latin American Studies from the University of Colorado–Boulder and...
Browse Articles by Gerardo

Kathleen Palmieri

5th Grade NBCT

Kathleen Palmieri is a National Board Certified Teacher and NBCT Professional Learning facilitator. She is a fifth grade educator and writer in upstate New York With a passion for literacy and learning in the classroom, she participates in various writing...
Browse Articles by Kathleen

Melissa Pilon

Gr 6-8 ELA

Melissa Pilon has been teaching middle school ELA in Depew, New York for 21 years. It is her passion to help students discover that one book that will turn them into life-long readers. In her free time, Melissa spends time...
Browse Articles by Melissa

Kelly Rao

Middle School Teacher

Kelly Rao is a teacher, writer, and avid traveler. A cancer survivor, she has spent the past ten years of her life becoming a personal development junkie focused on emotional empowerment. If she isn’t spending time with her family and...
Browse Articles by Kelly

Stephanie Reece

5th Gr Literacy & Social Studies

Stephanie has been teaching for seven years. She has taught 4th-6th grade, and is currently teaching 5th grade Literacy and Social Studies in Iowa. Stephanie joined the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek Club in January 2018.
Browse Articles by Stephanie

Francesca Roley

8th/9th Gr ELA

Francesca M. Roley currently teaches 8th and 9th grade English at Pennfield Middle School. Previously, she taught middle school English, middle school History, high school English, and SAT Prep at schools in Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs since graduating from...
Browse Articles by Francesca

Jennifer Schwartz

Elementary Teacher

Jennifer Schwartz is an elementary school teacher who lives in Ontario, Canada, with her husband and extremely busy one-year-old son. A proud graduate of both the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek and Queen’s University, Jennifer loves Jesus, extended family dinners (that...
Browse Articles by Jennifer

Cindy Shapiro

Teacher & Instructional Coach

Cindy Shapiro has been a teacher since 2001, with a two-year stint as an instructional coach, too. She believes in the work that teachers do, and is a big believer in collaboration and the power of "we." In 2020, she...
Browse Articles by Cindy

Whittney Tomczyk

Gr 3-12 Teacher

Whittney has certifications in both elementary and secondary education with endorsements in English Language Arts and Gifted Ed with experience in grades three through twelve.
Browse Articles by Whittney

Dan Tricarico

High School ELA

Dan has been a high school English teacher for over twenty-five years and is the author of The Zen Teacher: Creating Focus, Simplicity, and Tranquility in the Classroom (DBC, Inc. 2015), and Sanctuaries: Self-Care Secrets for Stressed Out Teachers (DBC,...
Browse Articles by Dan

Elisa Waingort

Middle School Spanish

I am a Spanish Bilingual teacher writer who teaches middle grade students in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I have taught in a variety of countries and situations throughout my 35+ years in education. My biggest asset is the students I have...
Browse Articles by Elisa

Amanda Werner

ELA Teacher

Amanda Werner has been a teacher for thirteen years and still feels like a novice. Every year is a unique and exciting challenge to inspire a new group of students to become avid readers and writers. Amanda reads educational literature...
Browse Articles by Amanda

What’s Truth for Teachers all about?

We’re a collective of educators who collaborate here to speak honestly and transparently about the realities of K-12 teaching.

Explore All Articles

Diverse perspectives

We feature K-12 teachers with a wide range of identities, lived experiences, teaching experiences, and educational contexts. We seek to highlight voices that are often missing from the dominant narratives in education.

Sustainable approaches

We help teachers use mindset and productivity tools to create balance and find a sustainable approach to their workload. We prioritize energy-giving tasks to help teachers maintain their enthusiasm and creativity.

Teacher + student advocacy

We find the overlap between what’s best for educators and what’s best for kids, and support teachers in advocating for positive change in their classrooms, schools, and communities.

Holistic wellbeing

We believe the physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing of both children and educators are interconnected. We work to create schools that prepare kids to be informed, conscious citizens, and we value more than just the academic instruction teachers provide.

Mission
Statement

The encouragement, motivation, and practical teaching strategies you’ll find here are grounded in these shared values:

  • We believe classroom teachers have a unique and essential expertise that must be centered in discussions about education. Decisions about teaching should not be made without teachers. So, we use our platform to amplify the voices of classroom practitioners.
  • We seek out a diversity of perspectives and honor the wide range of experiences teachers have in K-12 schools. We focus on teachers in the United States, but welcome and learn from the voices of educators around the world. We encourage them to speak openly and transparently about all they are experiencing.
  • We believe in the relentless pursuit of truth by uncovering history, facts, and experiences that have been obscured or whitewashed. We look to see whose perspectives are missing from common narratives and how that’s shaped what we believe is true. We are constantly learning and growing, and sharing that process with other educators.
  • We believe that who teachers ARE matters just as much as what they DO. Therefore, we focus not only on professional development, but also personal development. We delve deeply into topics of mindset, unpacking personal bias, habits for strong mental health, and overall teacher wellbeing. The goal is to provoke self-examination and help educators be the best true version of themselves.
  • We work to be inclusive but aren’t afraid to take a stand on divisive issues when needed. When deciding whether to tackle a controversial topic, our guiding question is, “Who benefits if we choose to stay silent about this?” We stand with folks in the margins and work for justice, accountability, and equity.
  • We believe in a humanized approach to education, addressing not only the needs of the whole child but the whole teacher. The physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing of both children and educators is our central concern, and does not come secondary to academic goals.
  • We believe the status quo is not best serving the needs of teachers or kids, and push one another to reimagine what’s possible. We do not believe in martyring ourselves to meet impossible expectations or overburdening students with irrelevant assignments and excessive testing. Instead, we support teachers in focusing on what makes the biggest impact for kids, and setting boundaries on how much time they–and their students–dedicate to less impactful tasks.
  • We believe there is a huge overlap between what’s best for kids and what’s best for teachers, and work to offer solutions that serve the best interest of both. Kids learn best from happy, supported, balanced teachers. So, we reject the tendency to pit teachers’ needs against those of students, and instead look for the alignment between them.
  • We believe teaching is inherently impacted by the larger political, cultural, societal, and institutional frameworks that our schools operate within. So, we don’t shy away from discussing current events, and work to inform and equip educators to navigate systemic challenges.
  • We believe that a free high quality public education is not only the right of every child, but essential for the greater good of a nation. We respect parental choice, and support teachers working in private and charter schools. We also have a deep passion for strengthening our public school system through equitable learning conditions for kids and sustainable working conditions for educators.
  • We actively look for solutions that make teaching more effective, efficient, enjoyable, and equitable. We seek to help teachers find a sustainable approach to their work in order to maintain their enthusiasm and creativity. We support them in identifying practices that make the best use of class time and help meet the needs of all students, without burning out.
  • We believe our mission is up for questioning but not up for debate. We invite healthy discussion initiated in good faith for the purpose of clarification. We encourage pushing one another’s thinking to include additional perspectives. And, we welcome all educators in this space. In the interest of cohesion and forward progress, we focus on the needs of educators who share our core values. We do not compromise the work of our community to center the perspectives of those who are disinterested in (or opposed to) our goals.

 

If you feel energized and excited after reading this … you’ve found your community of educators. We’re glad you’re here! Sign up to be part of this community.