Although actual teaching often provided some competition with my ability to write for this blog over the past year, I managed to crank out quite a few new blog posts in 2018. Below I shared my top ten most popular posts from the previous year based on blog traffic. Thank you for sharing in this […]
How to Teach Social Studies and Still have a Life Outside the Classroom
Often times, teachers find themselves lugging home giant piles of grading so that they can devote the time they have during the school day to all of the other tasks they need to complete. One of the most frustrating parts of teaching is being able to find the time to grade. As teachers take on […]
Creating Stations for your Social Studies Class
I’m a huge fan of utilizing stations to teach skills and reinforce content. Stations get students up and moving around the classroom, and help build knowledge and historical thinking skills. Stations also reinforce student-centered and inquiry-based learning. Still, I recognize that creating stations for your Social Studies class can pose a bit of a daunting […]
My Favorite History Review Game of All Time!
Throughout my teaching career, I have always tried to come up with practical review games that were also fun. I love games that get my kids up and moving, and most importantly, laughing. I devised this game about 9 years ago, and it has held strong as my favorite History review game of all time! […]
Teaching Evidence Based Argumentation through Games
Evidence-Based Argumentation through Games Teaching History is often about expressing a point of view, and supporting that point of view with evidence. Obviously, practicing this skill involves lots of writing for students. Earlier in the school year, I had students interact through a silent conversation. I loved that process, and I’m fairly certain that students […]
Utilizing MEAL for Paragraph Writing in Social Studies
In recent years, I’ve noticed that Social Studies teachers are incorporating more writing into their classrooms. This makes my teacher heart happy, as I know that writing is absolutely crucial for students to understand and think critically about history. Obviously, when teaching students to write, teachers develop strategies to make sure that student writing is sophisticated. […]
10 Ways to use Pear Deck in your History Classroom
(NOTE: This is not a paid review, and I haven’t received a premium account for my review. I just really love Pear Deck.) Last year, I discovered Pear Deck, and my direct instruction hasn’t been the same since. I’ve never been a huge fan of direct instruction, and I’ve slowly removed most direct lectures from my […]
Conducting a Silent Conversation with Your History Class
I recently conducted my first “silent conversation” with my AP U.S. History classes. I’d seen the idea in several locations previously, however, I couldn’t yet conceptualize how it would work with my classes. Then, I saw a version posted by Caleb Lagerwey, a fellow APUSH teacher. His version of the silent conversation seemed perfect for […]