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We rush to identify, punish and isolate the racists—like members of a University of Oklahoma fraternity—without scrutinizing racism.

Shrinking there on the stool in the science classroom, I just want to gather my ungraded quizzes and my dignity and flee to freedom. But, I don’t. I sit there, paralyzed by the assault. “We are not your enemies,” I finally counter. “We are not Blake’s enemies.”

Whenever I see a movie about teachers, I get a little nervous. I wonder how my profession will be represented. I’m always curious, but usually disappointed. I have found that on-screen teachers tend to perpetuate two frustrating stereotypes about the profession. The first is that anyone can teach—or worse—“those who can’t, teach.” There’s a misconception that teaching requires no special skills or talents beyond a basic knowledge of the content area. The other stereotype is teacher as martyr-saint. This portrayal assumes that the one qualification for being a good teacher is a heart of gold, a willingness to sacrifice everything out of love for children. Most films ignore the complexity of the craft of teaching. This makes me cringe.

National Teacher of the Year Betsy Rogers talks teaching, segregation and poverty.

"I, too, am America."

I work as an instructional coach at a large, diverse and underperforming urban public elementary school. Our students are at-risk. Families are struggling with stress and trauma. Teachers work mightily to close the achievement gap. So as I left a third-grade classroom the other day after a check-in with the teacher, I wasn’t surprised when she said, “Wait, can I ask you one more thing?”

Spring & Summer 1999 April 20 Columbine High School students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold shoot and kill 12 students and one teacher before turning the guns on themselves. Twenty-three are injured. The students killed

How can educators push their students to think past a static understanding of history in developmentally appropriate ways? This teacher offers some insights from his classroom.