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Part of the Why I Teach essay series.

Toni Giarnese found inspiration in her job thanks to a disabled boy who looked a lot like a knight in shining armor.

The NFL prospect has the potential to redefine for millions of people what it means to be a gay man in the U.S.

In Tucson, guest artists help refugee students connect throughout the learning process.

Years ago, I was inspired by Douglas Brinkley’s The Majic Bus: An American Odyssey. In it, Brinkley described how he taught history to college students. He took them to historical sites and had them speak with eyewitnesses. Wanting this, but not knowing how to pay for it, I looked inward. I realized that our high school campus was surrounded by history, just like every other place.

My colleagues thought my teaching Lord of the Flies was “perfect.” My seventh-grade class is two-thirds male. The group contains several strong personalities and many “followers,” who often mimic bad behavior. Last year, teachers struggled with this group, several instances of bullying, and a developing culture of negativity. I saw the power struggles on the first day of school and knew I had to address them early.

Despite arguments to the contrary, ethnic studies benefits all students—and research backs it up.