Planning
I Hate Subbing Because I Love Teaching
As far as part-time jobs go, substitute teaching isn’t bad. As far as being a teacher who really, really wants to be a full-time teacher, substitute teaching stinks.
I appreciate the fact that I’m getting experience in the classroom. Being able to walk into a room full of kids I don’t know and be [...]
Thanksgiving is Awkward
As a student of history and a teacher, Thanksgiving is awkward.
The “story of Thanksgiving” has basically become a fairy-tale. The starving Pilgrims at the Plymouth Colony learn new farming techniques and receive advice from the local Native Americans. The crop is bountiful and everybody, starving Pilgrims and helpful Native Americans, sit down for a big [...]
The Best Teachers and Their Planning
I’ve always been extremely interested in the work habits of people I admire. I admit to spending an unreasonable amount of time reading “lifehack” blogs about how to be more productive or the best way to organize my to-do lists. While extremely unproductive, it at least has got me thinking about the ways in which [...]
Veterans Day Lesson Plan
As a social studies teacher, should you take a day out of your planned curriculum to address Veterans’ Day?
I really can’t imagine answering this question in any way but the affirmative. Grabbing “teachable moments” and running with them is a huge part of being a relevant and effective teacher. Today is a great time to [...]
The Social Studies Skills: Are They Being Neglected?
“My job is to prepare you for the real world, not make you sweet at Jeopardy.”
This was one of the first things I told my classes when I student taught at the beginning of this year. It is something that I believe very deeply and I have tried to mold myself into the type of [...]