Hannah Brown
New York Teacher Reporter
Breaking barriers in the Bronx
Dayniah Manderson’s favorite genre to teach in her 8th-grade English classes at Mott Haven Community School is dystopian fiction because, as a wheelchair user with muscular dystrophy, she relates to the struggle to break free from oppressive systems.
Touting self-care at town hall
The morning town hall at the UFT’s Spring Education Conference was devoted to self-care, stress reduction and wellness.
CTE’s diversity on display
3D-printed dental prosthetics, delectable brownies and a pet adoption app that works like Tinder. These were just some of the handiwork of career and technical education high school students on display at the Spring Education Conference’s bustling exhibit hall.
STEM for beginners
A lunchtime LEGO club conceived by two paraprofessionals grows into an award-winning career and technical education STEM program at Fairmont Neighborhood Elementary School in the Bronx.
School Counselors Conference
Shanker Hall at UFT headquarters was packed on March 11 for the 19th annual School Counselors Conference — the first fully in-person conference the chapter has held since school buildings closed during the pandemic — and members relished the opportunity to connect in person and share their experiences.
Pirouetting into the future
Students in the Career and Technical Education dance program at Talent Unlimited HS in Manhattan learn not only technique and performance but also how to choreograph, produce and direct.
Building ‘calm and focus’
About 60 schools this year joined the UFT’s pilot partnership with MindUp, an evidence-based social-emotional learning program conceived by the Goldie Hawn Foundation to support educators' and students' mental health.
Putting a new spin on learning
Using the school cafeteria as a shop, 4th-graders at PS 143 in Corona, Queens, learn bike mechanics, incorporating hands-on elements into their study of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
Recognizing 53 years of fighting for paras
"If you're a paraprofessional, please stand up," UFT President Michael Mulgrew said to the crowd at Teacher Union Day on Nov. 6. As scores of paraprofessionals stood to thunderous applause, he turned to Shelvy Young-Abrams, their just-retired chapter leader, on the stage beside him.