Yo, Miss! (No. 30)

It Isn't Linear

It has been a whirlwind start to the school year. I love my new students and I feel super inspired to teach them US History, especially as we see what is happening in our country and around the world. Teaching the full complex history feels more important than ever.

Ms. Brooks (my fellow U.S. History teacher at our school) and I assigned a project to our students asking them to explore their identities and how they connect to America. I have been blown away by their insightful projects and keenly personal reflections and observations. Now I feel even more committed to teaching an inclusive and complex United States History curriculum to my students this year!

But just as the school year started, I had a health scare (I’m ok!)

Then we lost my Grandma Lily.

I wrote about her in my previous newsletter:

So this past week I was mourning her loss while bustling through a busy schedule. But I feel her spirit around me. I even saw a few signs this week that she’s watching over me 💐

As sad as I am about losing her and as fearful as I am about the fate of our nation, I refuse to give up. I feel hopeful because the only other option is hopelessness and that is unacceptable to me.

I reminded a student who’s struggling with some personal issues that growth and progress are not linear. One day you might feel as though you conquered your pain and demons. Then a day later it might seem like you have so much more work to do.

Progress often looks like a straight line in retrospect. My goal as a history teacher is to demonstrate that positive change is rarely neat and organized. However, it is worth pushing through the setbacks to get to a better tomorrow for everyone.

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Some highlights of my week

• Our Feminist Eagles Club (founded in 2015) is back and we will be meeting Thursdays after school. We have three new amazing co-leaders and a lot of kids signed up to be a part of it. I even have some exciting guests lined up that I will announce soon.

  

• Our Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence Instagram Live with Congressman Jamaal Bowman. Here’s a clip:

teachersunify

A post shared by @teachersunify

and you can watch the full interview here:

teachersunify

A post shared by @teachersunify

• Also, Episode 9 of the Grifty Podcast episode is live.

On this episode of Grifty,  we are kicking off our new ongoing series- The Grifty Tribune. In ancient Rome, the Tribune was a person who upheld or defended the rights of the people. And we plan to do the same with this ongoing series. 

In this edition of the Grifty Tribune, Azi and Sari break down the latest in American politics with a focus on how the GOP got so darn grifty - from Sarah Palins’s $150,000 wardrobe back in 2008 to the Obama Birther Conspiracy to the Trump Mug Shot of 2023. Azi and Sari even go back to the Roman Empire - yes, the Roman Empire - and try to figure out how we got to this place in America, once founded on lofty principles of republican virtue, to one where Trump is able to galvanize and grift off of an anti-intellectual, conspiracy theory obsessed,  and bigoted voting bloc.

• Also, I spoke to Rebecca Ruiz for her excellent Mashable article:

For the past two decades, New York City school teacher Sari Beth Rosenberg has guided high school students through the annals of U.S. history.

Rosenberg's generation-spanning vantage point gives her rare insight into their education. She can tell you what happened, at least in her experience, when nearly every teen started showing up to school with an internet-connected device and one or moresocial mediaaccounts.

You can read the full article here.

• Here’s a roundup of some TikToks I made this week, too

  

  @saribethroseOnly one side is working for the American people #democratsoftiktok #democrats #bidenharris2024 #politics #news

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@saribethroseanother day in america #teacher #bookbans #annefrank #teachersoftiktok

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@saribethroseWhy am I like this #teacher #teachersoftiktok #teacherlife #humor #weekendvibes

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@saribethroseWe contain multitudes #romanempire #teacher #teachersoftiktok #nyc

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Thank you for ALL your support and ALL your kind words about my grandma. I am working on getting back to all of your thoughtful messages that really helped me this week. THANK YOU. Here’s my LinkTree if you ever want to support my work by buying me a snack or coffee. Have a great week my friends xoxo