Blogs

Member Spotlight: Mrs. Lori Andrews

By Raevyn Harris posted 17 hours ago
As the Director of a Child Development Center in Wisconsin and one of the newest members of her KDP community, Mrs. Lori Andrews spends her days guiding kids through their most formative years, focusing on the lasting impact a positive early start can have. A Safe Place to Grow Lori’s goal is to create a space where kids can thrive academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. "My faith and desire to serve others inspire me to create a loving, inclusive environment where every child feels valued, respected, and capable of success," Lori shares. A big part of making that happen is building strong relationships with ...

Member Spotlight: Ms. Wilmar Medina De Hoyos

By Raevyn Harris posted 17 hours ago
For Wilmar Medina De Hoyos, the classroom has never been a place for passive learning. It is a launching pad for societal transformation. A Puerto Rican educator, former athlete, and recent law graduate, Wilmar has built her journey at the intersection of education and justice, driven by a deep-seated belief in the power of knowledge. "I am inspired by the belief that education is the most powerful tool for transforming lives," Wilmar shares. "I do not believe in an education limited to memorizing content; I believe in an education that empowers students to think critically, ask questions, understand their rights, and become agents of change." ...

Being Good Enough in a World That’s Asking for More

By Raevyn Harris posted 2 days ago
Do you ever feel like no matter how much you do, it's never quite enough? Teachers are constantly asked to give more, do more, learn more, and be more. Between classroom responsibilities, student needs, meetings, family life, and the pressure to keep improving, it can feel overwhelming. Even when you are doing your best, the world can make you feel like you should somehow be doing more. This Rooted Teacher Podcast episode explores the pressure to be perfect and the freedom that comes with embracing the idea of being good enough. Inspired by the work of Brené Brown and her insights on vulnerability and self-worth, this episode ...

You’re Already Amazing: A Reminder for Teachers to Embrace Who They Are

By Raevyn Harris posted 2 days ago
In the effort to do our best, it can be easy to slip into the pressure of perfection. Teachers give so much of themselves every day. You plan, prepare, adjust, encourage, problem-solve, and show up for others in countless ways. But in the middle of striving, it is also easy to compare yourself to others or overlook the unique strengths, gifts, and accomplishments you already bring to your work and your life. High achievement can be a good thing, but it should not come at the cost of forgetting your own worth. This Rooted Teacher Podcast episode is a heartfelt reminder that you do not have to earn your value by doing more, being ...

Making Wellness Feel Possible: A Conversation with Lade Akande

By Raevyn Harris posted 2 days ago
Juice cleanses. Fad diets. Intense workout challenges. Strict routines that seem impossible to maintain. At the start of the summer, messages about health and wellness are everywhere. While many of them are meant to motivate us, they can also feel overwhelming, unrealistic, or simply too hard to begin. For teachers, wellness often needs to be practical. It has to fit into full schedules, busy classrooms, family responsibilities, and the everyday demands of caring for others. That is why this episode of the Rooted Teacher Podcast is such an important reminder: wellness does not have to be complicated to make a difference. In ...

Strategies for Mitigating Stress in the Elementary Classroom

By Samantha Martin posted 3 days ago
Strategies for Mitigating Stress in the Elementary Classroom By: Brandy-Lea McCombs Every morning, elementary teachers open their doors to students carrying invisible backpacks. Inside these backpacks aren't just crayons and notebooks, but often the heavy weight of high levels of stress, chaos, or trauma. Research consistently confirms what educators witness firsthand: high levels of adversity during childhood (ages 0–18) profoundly reshape a child's trajectory, impacting their long-term physical health, mental wellness, social relationships, and future workforce stability ( Felitti et al, 1998) . When complex ...

Navigating First-Year Fears, Fights, and Feats

By Samantha Martin posted 10 days ago
Navigating First-Year Fears, Fights, and Feats By: Kayla Layman Picture this: you just arrived at school on the first day of your first year of teaching. You could hardly wait for this moment! You worked relentlessly to graduate, pass the necessary certification exams, and interview for your dream job. All you could think about the last few days while setting up your classroom was the anticipation of meeting your students for the first time. Then, your first day goes amazingly well! You feel incredibly lucky and fulfilled to be doing something so meaningful. But soon after, you realize you are on the biggest rollercoaster of your ...

Member Spotlight: Ms. Sherena Thomas

By Raevyn Harris posted 14 days ago
For Ms. Sherena Thomas , education is about far more than just helping students' complete assignments—it is about shaping their confidence and fostering a lifelong love for learning. As a current Learning Lab Assistant at Helena Park Elementary, Sherena balances her daily work in the classroom with her studies at Grand Canyon University. For her, joining Kappa Delta Pi has been a transformative experience that provides both the framework and the community to help her thrive as a future educator. "Having a supportive community like KDP has given me both confidence and motivation," Sherena shares. "It reminds me that I am not alone on this ...

Member Spotlight: Dr. Melissa Webb Earnest

By Raevyn Harris posted 14 days ago
Meet Dr. Melissa Webb Earnest , a KDP legacy member , CARE Action Team member, and dedicated educator who has been part of the KDP community for 31 years. Currently serving as an Adjunct Professor at the American College of Education, Dr. Webb Earnest shared her journey from a non-traditional student to a veteran educator, and why peer support matters now more than ever. Finding a Lifeline as a Non-Traditional Student Dr. Webb Earnest’s history with KDP began when she returned to school as a non-traditional student to earn her master’s degree and teaching certification at the same time. "When I was introduced to the professional organization, ...

Member Spotlight: Dr. Clarissa Gamble Booker

By Raevyn Harris posted 28 days ago
Meet Dr. Clarissa Gamble Booker, a member of KDP’s esteemed Eleanor Roosevelt Chapter and recipient of The 2026 Dr. Thomas E. Musselman Award for Service Excellence . This award honors an individual whose sustained commitment to service has made a meaningful impact within KDP and the education profession. For Dr. Booker, that spirit of service is not just something she demonstrates—it is part of the legacy she continues to build. At Prairie View A&M University, Dr. Booker is widely respected as a dynamic leader, tenured professor in the Whitlowe R. Green College of Education, and coordinator of the reading program. Her journey ...

Member Spotlight: Ms. Vladine Roche

By Raevyn Harris posted 28 days ago
For Ms. Vladine Roche , KDP has been a source of connection, encouragement, and professional growth. “My KDP family has allowed me to truly flourish in my classroom,” Vladine shared. “They provide purposeful professional development, collaboration, and educational resources.” As a seventh-grade teacher and member of the Alpha Epsilon Gamma Chapter at Grand Canyon University, Vladine says KDP has connected her with educators who motivate her to grow both professionally and personally. Through those relationships, she has been encouraged to reflect on her practice, try new instructional strategies, and stay grounded in what matters most: ...

Turning Anxiety into Resilience: Practical Strategies for Educators

By Samantha Martin posted 29 days ago
Turning Anxiety into Resilience: Practical Strategies for Educators By : Kayla Sweet In recent years, anxiety among students has become an increasingly visible trend in schools. Conversations about mental health, mindfulness practices, and even designated mental health days are now common parts of educational discourse. Yet many educators continue to ask an important question: are we simply more aware of student anxiety, or are students truly experiencing higher levels of stress that interfere with their ability to learn? Across classrooms in urban, suburban, and rural districts alike, teachers ...

Six Key Strategies for Building and Growing Your Professional Networks as Pre-Service Teachers

By Samantha Martin posted 05-22-2026
Six Key Strategies for Building and Growing Your Professional Networks as Pre-Service Teachers By: Janet Solis Rodriguez, Carrie Mitchell, Priya V. Prasad, and Carey B. Walls W hen you have a question — about classroom management, lesson planning, or even where to apply for teaching jobs — who do you tend to turn to for advice? The social connections , or networks , you build during your teacher preparation program can be an important source of support , not only as a pre-service teacher, but also as you enter the teaching profession. ...

Member Spotlight: Dr. Rick Breault

By Raevyn Harris posted 05-21-2026
Meet Dr. Rick Breault , Faculty Licensing Officer at Ashland University, KDP member of more than 32 years, KDP Eleanor Roosevelt Chapter member , and the 2026 Founders Day Awards recipient of the Dr. Truman L. Kelley Award for Scholarship Excellence . This honor recognizes his sustained, impactful scholarship within KDP and the broader education profession at local, national, and global levels. Dr. Breault’s KDP journey began in 1986 with his initiation into the Delta Epsilon Chapter at Northern Illinois University as a doctoral student. His prior experience as an elementary and middle school teacher in the Chicago area remains the foundation ...

Member Spotlight: Ms. Kimmy Ma

By Raevyn Harris posted 05-21-2026
Meet KDP teacher member Ms. Kimmy Ma . A high school teacher with 15 years of classroom experience and a member of the Chi Epsilon Chapter at Molloy College. As a doctoral scholar in educational leadership, and a Global Justice Fellow at the Sustainability Institute, Ms. Ma bridges the gap between academic research and everyday classroom practice. A Framework for Belonging At the heart of Ms. Ma’s work is the Social Artistic Model (SAM), a framework she developed to study how long-term visual arts engagement foster's identity, collaboration, and belonging. Through experiential learning and qualitative inquiry, her research examines how creative ...

Mind in Motion: A History of Cursive Writing and Its Resurgence in the School Curriculum

By Samantha Martin posted 05-19-2026
Title : Mind in Motion: A History of Cursive Writing and I ts Resurgence in the School Curriculum By : Theoni Soublis Think about when a student struggles to take notes, decode a word th ey knew orally , or recall new vocabulary . What if one instructional tool could support all three vital skills? Literacy and neuroscience research reveal a solution that harkens teachers back to implementing a writing stra t egy, long considered obsolete , that connects how a student writes to how they read, think, and learn . What ’s the forgotten ...

Five Tips for Developing Positive Math Identities…. For You and Your Students

By Samantha Martin posted 05-15-2026
Five Tips for Developing Positive Math Identities…. For You and Your Students By : Suzanne Abdelrahim , Margarita Jiménez-Silva, Rachel Restani , Tony Albano, & Robin Martin During a third-grade math lesson on multi-digit subtraction, Ms. Brewer shows the class a word problem she has written on the board. She asks a student to read the problem aloud then says, “Okay class, I’ll be honest – I am not really a math person, but we are going to follow the steps and do this together.” She models the algorithm and tells the students to line up the digits and to borrow when needed . Mona raises ...

Igniting Innovation in the STEAM Classroom

By Samantha Martin posted 05-12-2026
Igniting Innovation in the STEAM C lassroom By Katherine Horlock and Cindy Melton STEAM is the integration of S cience, T echnology, E ngineering, A rt, and M athematics , and has potential to ignite innovation , spark curiosity, and instill a joy for learning in classrooms by allowing students to take ownership over learning. STEAM learning connects these five content areas through a holistic style of learning that is both interdisciplinary and engaging in nature , while also providing skills needed for 21st century learning. Four of the essential skills inherent ...

Research-Driven Positive Psychology as a Tool in Social-Emotional Learning

By Samantha Martin posted 05-08-2026
Research-Driven Positive Psychology as a Tool in Social-Emotional Learning By Robert G. Hendrickson The need for optimism and resilience among adults is clear, and it crosses cultures and boundaries. Depression is widespread in the developed world. While a substantial amount of literature has been released within the “self-help” genre, very little research has examined the predictive connection between education and adult well-being. Some would argue that the primary purpose of education is preparing students to be successful adults, but success without enjoyment might, by some definitions, fall short. The measurement and value ...

Member Spotlight: Dr. Darlene Hester-Slade

By Raevyn Harris posted 05-07-2026
For Dr. Darlene Hester-Slade, a teacher in Richmond Public Schools, education is about helping students see what is possible within themselves. “I teach to turn potential into power,” Dr. Hester-Slade shared. “Too many students face the world without a support system, and I am committed to being the mentor who changes that.” Through her work in the classroom, she uses her knowledge, experiences, and care for students to help them grow with confidence and purpose. Her goal is not only to inspire the students in front of her, but to spark something that can continue for generations. “By sharing my knowledge and life experiences, ...