Talking to our immigrant parents about living wills and last wishes

My 83-year-old father passed away last year. Despite the difficult circumstances, having a living will and knowing his last wishes made the situation a little more manageable. It’s a difficult but necessary conversation to have with our loved ones–especially if they’re our immigrant parents. To help others, I recently shared my story of how I... Read more »
By Ray Salazar, NBCT,
May 25, 2021 at 2:34 pm • 

We can't talk about Adam Toledo without talking about 7th grade

Listen to this commentary by clicking on the link above. The conversations around the Chicago police murder of Adam Toledo focus on questioning systems: the schools, the streets, the family, the cops.  But I want to talk about what it means to be a 7th grader.  Adam Toledo attended 7th grade. When a 7th grader... Read more »
By Ray Salazar, NBCT,
April 27, 2021 at 5:23 am • 

Chicago Public Schools student overcomes social anxiety by playing guitar

Chicago Public Schools student overcomes social anxiety by playing guitar
by Carlos Raygoza-Perez, a student at Hancock College Prep Just hours away from the Hancock College Prep talent show in 2017, Leonel De Paz’s fingers bled. Covered in blisters and tender to the touch, Leo’s hands were ready to give out; however, he wasn’t. Fueled by his passionate love for music, he wasn’t ready to... Read more »
By Ray Salazar, NBCT,
April 26, 2021 at 9:09 am • 
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Chicago public school teacher discusses creating socially just and academically challenging classrooms

Thank you to Big Brown Dad’s Carlos Aguilar for inviting me to talk about teaching in Chicago for the last 25 years and what’s next. And check out Mestizo Coffee–it’s strong in a socially just way, too. (Just, uh, fast forward to 0:50 if you want to miss the quick f-bomb.) You can “Like” The White Rhino... Read more »
By Ray Salazar, NBCT,
April 6, 2021 at 8:47 am • 

Chicago Public Schools needs to switch to a year-round calendar this fall

“Year-round” misleads. Students do not attend school for twelve months. Instead, this calendar includes a shorter summer break and other breaks throughout the year. We know that returning to the new normal in a post-pandemic world means change. Especially in education, we cannot return to teaching and learning and systems because “that’s what we used... Read more »
By Ray Salazar, NBCT,
March 21, 2021 at 12:06 pm • 

Chicago Teacher Offers Virtual Editorial-Writing Workshop for High-School Teachers

Chicago Teacher Offers Virtual Editorial-Writing Workshop for High-School Teachers
This is my way of sharing what I know with others. Designed for novice & experienced high-school teachers in the U.S., this 90-minute virtual workshop focuses on teaching editorial writing. This workshop helps high-school teachers understand how to help their students write and read sophisticated editorials in the 21st century. With no more than 24... Read more »
By Ray Salazar, NBCT,
March 7, 2021 at 10:10 pm • 
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Chicago Public Schools debate coach grateful students accepted virtual experience

Chicago Public Schools debate coach grateful students accepted virtual experience
Can our school’s young debate team survive during the pandemic? I doubted students would show up to online debate meetings and attend virtual debate tournaments. With our Chicago Public Schools debate team starting its third year, I thought remote learning would devastate our team’s participation. In September, over fifty students showed up to our first virtual... Read more »
By Ray Salazar, NBCT,
February 23, 2021 at 9:42 am • 

Chicago Public Schools students evaluate Biden's and Trump's speeches after Capitol insurrection

When tragedies happen in our world, students need an outlet to talk about them, to process the events.  More importantly, they need learning experiences that move them beyond talking into creating something to help them grow academically and emotionally. Moments after last’s week’s insurrection, my colleague who also teaches the same junior English class texted... Read more »
By Ray Salazar, NBCT,
January 14, 2021 at 2:36 pm • 

Chicago Public Schools student says high-school students should leave cameras on during remote learning

This editorial was written by Jazmin Amaro, a student in Hancock College Prep’s journalism class. CPS students started off the school year online, and there are still no answers to how long high-school students will be online.  Although many elementary students return to school this month by choice, high-school students will continue to learn remotely. ... Read more »
By Ray Salazar, NBCT,
January 12, 2021 at 1:38 pm • 
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Chicago Public Schools Students Learn about Responsible Reporting from Accomplished Journalists

Through a collaboration with the Pulitzer Center, Chicago Public Students heard from WBEZ’s Maria Inés Zamudio and the Texas Tribune’s Julián Aguilar about being a journalist, interviewing people with trauma, the writing process, and success. Early in the interview, the sound got chopped a bit when Zamudio explained how she became interested in reporting.  She... Read more »
By Ray Salazar, NBCT,
December 15, 2020 at 12:09 pm •