On August 22, I went back to school to start my ninth year of teaching. The Amazon rain forest had already been on fire for three weeks. I don’t know if Lisa Delpit knew how literal the title of her book, Teaching When the World Is on Fire, out today, would be—but it illuminates the absolute absurdity of the world we are living and teaching in.
Author: Jessica Berg
Jessica Berg is a high school English teacher in Loudoun County, Virginia, where she lives with her husband, Dave, two daughters, Harper and Bailey, and her dog, Finley. In 2016, she started the Ms. Phoenix Organization (an homage to Ms.) at her high school to empower and educate young women and men. She truly believes education is the first step in the fight for equality. Everything she does, she does for her daughters.
Wading Into Roe: The Feminist Politics of an Apolitical Classroom
It’s true that tensions are running high—but the stakes are even higher. So today in class, we are talking about it. Pursuant of county directives to remain apolitical in my classroom, I waded into the topic of reproductive rights within its walls.
Reclaiming My Classroom
I did not have the time to delve into the history of misogyny and the rampant sexism that still exists today in my classroom. That made me livid. So I decided to make the time. I created a Women’s Studies Course for my high schoolers.