Colonial Roots of School Discipline

Despite evidence that punitive punishment is ineffective and damaging— at worst, pushing vulnerable children out of school into the carceral system and, at best, driving student resentment and a breakdown of the teacher-student relationship— we still enact them in the forms of detention, suspension, expulsion, and in extreme cases, practices that replicate our carceral system by introducing police, surveillance, fines and probation into schools. However, if you consider our current system of punitive discipline in schools as a continuation of European colonialism, we can begin to pick apart the origins and evolution of how our schools are increasingly operating as an extension of the penal system through hundreds of years of intentionally oppressive design.

[Part 1] Privilege: The Knapsack

We've all heard about white privilege but it's really hard to really explain what it is and how it affects, say, your life or my life. The definitions and discussions we hear about it in class or on TV include big words, race theory or the people talking over each other. None of those things... Continue Reading →

Thoughts On Our Walkout | Student Responses

In the past decade or so, one of the social movements that have been gaining momentum is the one for gun reform. Most of it, you all already know; it's been on the news and everyone's outraged one way or another, understandably or otherwise. It's been a while since the March 24th and the April... Continue Reading →

[Repost] Are Schools Violating Child Labor Laws?

The title of this article is a bit provocative but there is merit in what the content of articles says. As students, we have to be at school for a certain number of hours for five days a week. Then, to get into a good college, we need extracurriculars and for most of us that... Continue Reading →

My Raw Thoughts on College and A Career

“Raw” as in, “I wrote this in twenty minutes”. No edits. Nothing. This brings up a topic I briefly touched on in one of my other articles, A Growing Standard: Student Apathy, in which I introduced the “exhausted professional”, someone that works solely for the tokens that come with it. I once had this view, and... Continue Reading →

[A Repost] On Nagging | A Video

Usually, when we want to change someone else and have been met with a brick wall or an otherwise unsympathetic ear, we resort to nagging which not only turns off the other person more but also gives them a sense that they are being falsely accused or wrongly punished. This video helps explain the results... Continue Reading →

[A Repost] I’m a College Admissions Consultant, and I Tell My Students to Get Bs

Here's a little nugget from a person who has studied at Harvard and has been part of the admission process. In it, the author talks about how, by striving for the best, the best becomes monotonous and mundane. In the process of surpressing yourself and your passions and needs to get that perfect score on... Continue Reading →

A Growing Standard: Student Apathy

While there’s a rise in standardized test scores, GPA averages, and AP exam participation, can we write this up to a rise in a genuine love for learning as well?

What You Need to Know for APUSH

Alright, here is the article I promised. This article is a continuation of another article on this blog called "Should I take APUSH?". If you didn't read it yet and you're not sure whether or not you should take APUSH, check it out. Today, I'm going to go over the basic structure of this class... Continue Reading →

Why Teachers Shouldn’t Be Complaining About Kids Not Reading

It's a common goal for teachers to try to get their students to read, but they don't understand why most of their students hate it. But it really is their way of going about getting kids to read that turns off most kids. I was lucky enough one of those who started reading for fun... Continue Reading →

Should I Take APUSH?

After this year, I never want to see this cover ever again. Now is the time when high schools start handing out course verification sheets and you, being an AP World student (or not), can't decide on whether or not to take APUSH next year. Of course, that depends on your abilities and it depends on... Continue Reading →

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