Reflecting & Storytelling About Teaching
One of my favorite activities to help students understand the richness of the news is also one of the simplest. I often do it at the beginning of the year, but you could do it anytime you wanted students to think more deeply… Continue reading
On Wednesday my 8th grade U.S. history students slammed into class, some distraught and some delighted after hearing the election results from the night before… Continue reading
Here are six approaches – most of which can be pulled out on the fly – that have made my classroom slightly more civilized than it might otherwise have been… Continue reading
For adults who love history, the spark of the past arrives not in packaged textbook bites but in zingers that we can’t forget. We see a historical reference in the newspaper and can’t wait to share it with our breakfast table companions – children, partners, dogs, cats… Continue reading
The debate about teaching history thematically versus chronologically still captivates and frustrates me almost daily. How does history seem most alive and authentic? … Continue reading
“I just don’t see why I have to know these dates,” grumbled Danny as he looked at his midterm exam grade. Other students echoed his complaint. What do these dates matter? Why should we need to know the difference between 1789, when the Constitution was ratified, and 1765, when the Stamp Act was passed? … Continue reading
At the end of every year, like so many history teachers, I regret simply skimming the surface of the past. Three weeks, and there went India. We spent half a day on Emperor Ashoka, and I completely glossed over… Continue reading
Sarah Cooper 