Where to start?

Don't you just want, or maybe need to howl at the end of work every day? Now I know I probably just offended all the teachers out there that don't think of what we do as work, but I have news for you...you go to a building at a certain time, leave at a certain time, and collect a check for doing so. In most circles that's called work. My need to howl at the end of the day happens for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it's the kids, other times it's colleagues and administrators, sometimes it's just because I need to be a raving nit-wit and I simply can't do that during the course of a day. Whatever the reason I plan on doing my howling right here. Get used to it.
Now, on to today's howl: giving away our profession. Why do we do this???? Why do we allow administrators to do everything to us,oops, I mean for us? I attended a meeting earlier today that had to do with achievement gap issues in my district. It was a good meeting and the folks around that table seemed very passionate and ready to really do something about this issue. But at the end of the meeting, the administrator who was leading the meeting suggested a book for further research, then asked if anyone else had any more suggestions. I was the only one to offer another book suggestion. Teachers-time to get your head out of the sand and start doing research on your craft. I know we all read-start reading about how to be better at what we do. Start a reading group in your building that focuses on articles and books that address issues you feel are important-not just issues your principal tells you are important. If we want to be considered professionals it has nothing to do with how we dress, or whether or not we spend countless hours in our buildings. Being a professional has everything to do with how seriously we take our craft, and how hard we work at getting better at that craft. Howl on. Oh-titles of those books? Courageous Conversations about Race, and Other People's Children.