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Raige Hollis always liked the idea of talking to classmates. In fact, he says he's "friends with everybody." So when his high school announced plans for a Mix It Up at Lunch Day, Hollis, captain of the football team and senior classman, was all in. But some of his classmates at Laconia High School in New Hampshire were less excited about sitting down to lunch with folks who were not part of their usual circles.

Classroom discussions are usually dominated by a few “alpha” students eager to participate. We can all envision those students. Hands stretched high, fingers waving, literally or figuratively saying, “Ooh, pick me, pick me.” But how do you get that student who is desperately trying not to make eye contact with you—or anyone else in the classroom—involved in the conversation?

The O’Brien boys were a handful. Apathetic overstates how disinterested in school they were. They wandered in and out of my class, and when I wasn’t teaching, I’d see them aimlessly strolling the halls as if they had no place to be. They were mischievous yet charming, belligerent at some times and cooperative at others. They were also smart, funny and irreverent. But no matter what I or anyone else did, they wouldn’t engage in school.

Today, the North Carolina legislature debates what’s being called a repeal of the controversial “bathroom bill.” But is it really a repeal? Explore this question with your students.

A teacher reminds her students that they are not defined by their grades.

Teaching Tolerance’s director reflects on what to tell children about the most recent wave of bomb threats against Jewish spaces.

Hand-raising workshops combat participation inequity.

Teachers don’t want to be called saints or soldiers. Let’s mark Teacher Appreciation Week with a commitment to go beyond the rhetoric and speak accurately about teaching as a profession.

I just started my sixth year teaching high school English. This year began with the same question as always: “How will I empower the young women in my classroom this year?”