This blog post came about as a result of a question from a reader through my Instagram. She was wondering how I actually go about teaching the skill of historical thinking that is so embedded throughout my curriculum. I realized that this lesson has become so embedded in my teaching that I really didn’t think […]
10 Cooperative Learning Idea for a Socially Distanced Classroom
One of my greatest frustrations this year has been the difficulty associated with cooperative learning in a social distanced classroom. I love when my students get to interact with each other during class, decipher new texts, work on projects together, and challenge one another. Of course, with all the restrictions in a “COVID” classroom, that […]
Eight Youtube Channels for Teaching Middle School Social Studies
As we enter the fall school year, teachers are being tasked with the daunting responsibility of getting students engaged in new, virtual, and creative ways. You may be teaching in your actual classroom, a virtual classroom, or even both at the same time. It has proven to be such a challenge to keep our students […]
Utilizing Virtual Whiteboards in your Digital Classroom
One of the most important components of any vibrant classroom is collaborative discussion. With the COVID crisis in our country, many teachers have been forced in the direction of hybrid or virtual instruction. As a classroom teacher, I’m hopeful that I can still keep collaborative discussion alive in my classroom. In a quest to seek […]
5 Teaching Ideas I’ll Keep from Distance Learning
I think teachers across the world can agree that transitioning to distance learning overnight was not was not a fun experience. Honestly, a good portion was absolutely horrible. Not being able to read my students’ faces, or interact with them, or or make them laugh took a lot of the joy out of teaching. Heck, […]
Teaching about the 2020 Election
In 2016, I decided that I wanted to help my students understand the election process a bit better. Often times, my student’s questions made me realize that they had very little understanding or knowledge about the U.S. process for picking a president. I wanted them to know more about this process, and I needed them […]
How I Made a VIP Section Work in My Classroom
This post contains affiliate links. If I earn anything, I’ll use it to buy more prizes for my VIP section. They say thanks! I created a V.I.P. section for my classroom two years ago. It was a simple idea, for a simple reason, and it was one of my best ideas in my years as […]
Teaching History from an Anti-Racist Lens
When I was first approached to contribute to this blog series, I was a bit intimidated. I love teaching American history and encouraging critical thinking skills in my students. I like to think I’ve been doing the work to my lessons more anti-racist – still, I know that I’m not an expert. Also, I’m white […]
Developing an Efficient and Effective Grading System
As a teacher, creating an efficient grading system is one of the most important tasks you can do to help you manage your time and your teaching practice. Still, despite its importance, the process of developing an efficient grading system isn’t discussed much in college teacher courses. The amount of grading responsibility might not even […]