Some call me "Flem"

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I'm an elementary school teacher turned high school English teacher, School-Based Teacher Leader (SBTL), and adjunct professor here in Philly. These posts are the views, as I see them, from room 105, my first classroom number. Enjoy, engage, and share!

Monday, February 26, 2018

Should Philly Teachers Be Armed?


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Unthinkable tragedy has pulled on the heartstrings of this nation…again. My heart goes out to the families of those slain and injured. The slaying of seventeen and the injuring of fourteen others at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on Valentine’s Day has once again thrown this country into a school safety quagmire. 45 and others have suggested that the permanent solution to this systemic problem is to arm teachers, hyperbolically (no surprise) assuring us that these school “shootings will not happen again”.



I decided to pose the question of arming Philadelphia’s teachers to the followers of my class Instagram account. Let me just point out that I am unaware of any conversations in Philadelphia to arm us. I was just curious to know the first thoughts and opinions of my class Instagram followers.

Those who follow that account are current and former students, including some who are currently in the 6th grade. Followers also include current and former parents and relatives of those students, a few colleagues, community members, and a few in my familial and social circles.

The question was simple




Here are the final results (with votes are still coming in as comments)


The students, parents, and community were evenly split in their opinion, each group of followers voting for and against. I'm opposed, but I tried to pose the question as objectively as possible. 

Saturday, February 10, 2018

What a Week! #EaglesWeek


What a week this has been!

Sunday, 2/4
This past Sunday evening, February 4, 2018 at 10:17pm, the Eagles, my Philadelphia Eagles, our Philadelphia Eagles became WORLD CHAMPIONS by toppling Tom and the Patriots in Super Bowl LII. The streets went crazy! At least one car was tossed on its side in downtown Philly by rioters...oops...celebrants. The awning at the Ritz Carlton relented under the pressure of several rioters...oops...celebrants who foolishly thought it could stand the pressure of a dozen or more (Inebriated? It doesn't matter) human beings. The windows at the Macy's downtown were shattered by rioters...oops...celebrants. Despite these and other likely and unreported incidents, the majority of us Eagles fans were on an unbelievable victory high minus the destruction...oops...rowdy celebrations!

Honking horns!
Waving rally towels!
Screaming and yelling!
High-fiving and hugging strangers!

What a week this has been!

Thursday, 2/8
We celebrated like crazy this past Thursday, February 8th! Driving slowly and celebratory, the Eagles on the upper decks of buses, moved past what seemed to be an endless sea of humanity and green from Broad and Pattison straight through to the Philadelphia Museum of Art in our first of many Super Bowl VICTORY parades! At the Art Museum, a victory celebration for the ages ending a 58-year football championship famine in this city!! And what a celebration it was, too!!

On the "off days" (whatever that means after an EAGLES SUPER BOWL WIN)  Eagles players were dispatched to local and national events with appearances on talk shows, radio shows, sports stores' events, Disney World, and more!

What a week this has been!

The formal end to this year's football season reignited the much needed discussion and push for racial equity on so many different levels and in so many different spaces; a conversation that seemed to rollercoaster at times throughout the season. Colin Kaepernick and other players have been at the forefront of such efforts including our own Malcolm Jenkins! Though I chose to support Jenkins and the Eagles by watching football this season, my commitment and dedication to myriad social justice causes is unabated! Teaching in and of itself for me is, a demonstration of social consciousness! The work that began long before this football season, continues...