In light of recent protests at Drag Queen Story Hour events, this essay offers a critical examination of the role of gender performance in secondary schools and English lessons through a personal exploration of how I perform gender as a queer English teacher. I show that schools perpetuate a model of gender that is binary and heterosexist; that…

In gatherings facilitated by Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools staff, fellows have the chance to connect, collaborate, and support each other; to draw inspiration from invited speakers, ranging from artists to climate scientists; and to have dedicated time to work on their own projects. Participants find the program to be…

Electric potential is one of the most challenging concepts taught in high school physics classes due to the abstract nature of the concept. When taught, electric potential is often taught using a poorly triangulated set of instructional analogies, each possessing different strengths and limitations. Within this paper we share our learning from a…

In the current paper, the author offers a philosophically informed history of the present to address the evolving intersections of gender identity and sexuality within the K-12 student body. The author returns to the case of Lawrence/Leticia/Latisha King, a murdered middle schooler, to unpack the evolving frames that have been developed since…

In this article Matthew Etherington shares his experiences, successes, and challenges in implementing a 7th-grade fashion design unit in which he attempts to realize his curricular vision through critical visual culture pedagogy and role-playing. During the 4-week lesson period, Etherington's instructional checkpoints were broken into three main…

Belly dance is a folk dance with a history that can be traced back to the beginnings of civilization. It is a form of expression and movement that has been used for hundreds of years in religious ceremonies, birthing rituals, and social and familial gatherings in the Middle East. Students of belly dance can increase their muscular strength and…

In 1971, the newly established Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created DOCUMERICA, a federal government photography project born out of the nation's environmental crisis. The photographers hired by the EPA took thousands of photographs depicting pollution, waste, and blight, but they were given the freedom to capture the era's…

Since Pen Argyl High School in Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania was in the process of redeveloping its mascot, the Green Knight, the author decided to implement a studio project based on armor. In groups of three, students would research an assigned type of historical armor, replicate it in cardboard, and fit it to a group member. The lesson had heavy…

A strictly enforced dress code in an all-girls high school tends to create in students the desire to express their individuality. During the transition from childhood into adulthood, when adolescents struggle to establish an identity, they often define themselves through their appearance. When they are required to wear a uniform,…

To educate one's students about recycling garbage, art teachers can plan an "anti-trash costume bash" to promote public awareness of the ugly, unhealthy, and costly effects of litter. Such an event was brainstormed by the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), a regional agency made up of the valley communities in Arizona working to…

A high school fashion design teacher has much in common with the ringmaster of a three-ring circus. The challenges of teaching a hands-on course are to facilitate the entire class and to meet the needs of individual students. When teaching family and consumer sciences, the goal is to have a learner-active classroom. Revamping the high school's…

This viewpoint begins by exploring whether the global phenomenon of the 2011 "SlutWalks" constitutes a feminist politics of re-signification. We then look at some qualitative, focus group data with teen girls who participated in a UK SlutWalk. We suggest girls are not only negotiating a schizoid double pull towards performing knowing…

Tossing mortarboards at commencement is all fun and games until somebody gets her head sliced open. This article describes the harrowing experiences of Trudy Kuehner, a graduating senior at Sterling Regional High School 31 years ago, and another 17-year-old graduate who were both injured by a mortarboard. Such injuries are the exception, though,…

Focusing on the results of the REDCo (Religion in Education: a Contribution to Dialogue or a Factor of Conflict in Transforming Societies of European Countries) research, this publication sets out how French pupils conceive of "laicite", both generally and in school. It also explores pupils' perceptions of the 2004 law banning the…

In this article, the author describes the Lutterloh method of making dress patterns, which was developed in Germany in the 1930s. The underlying principle involves the modification of basic designs and it is claimed that it provides better fits for women of different sizes and shapes than do other commercially available patterns. The method is…