Whether you live in the Washington, DC metro area or are visiting as a tourist from far away, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum should be at the top of your itinerary. Located just off the National Mall at Independence and 14th Streets, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) tells the compelling story of […]
High School
“Let Them Eat Cake:” How Teachers Can Resist Banned Words
Words never uttered can be extremely significant. Often the perception of words said (or unsaid) carry more importance than truth. In October of 1789, Marie Antoinette did not look down at the swarming hordes of fishmonger women storming the Palace on Versailles and […]
The Importance of Holocaust Education
History and government are central to the curriculum of a liberal education found in K-16 school systems. We teach these subjects to young people so that they can understand the world around them. These are critical disciplines as we prepare students to contribute to society in a meaningful way, and we engage students on these […]
“Run, Hide (Barricade), Fight.” – Our New School Violence Reality
“Mom, it is like this happens every week.” “Mommy, we hid in our cubbies today.” My oldest child, the author of the first quote is astute; my younger child, the author of the latter, more innocent. Both, however, have learned that the world is violent; that their schools might be locations of a mass shooting. […]
When Students Provide Perspective
Sometimes, I feel like I need a little perspective. Some days, I come home from work exhausted. Especially this week, the week before Thanksgiving Break. This is not something that is unique to me. All week, I have seen posts on social media from other teachers that are feeling the same way. With daylight savings […]
Teaching Freshman Students How to Filter Themselves
The Freshman Filter Teaching freshmen students can be a very strange challenge at times. When I started teaching, I remembered that freshman year was one of the changes. I’ll be honest; one of the things that made me want to teach middle school or freshman in high school was the way students in this age […]
Yes, Breaking Up (with a text) is Hard to Do
It’s not you. It’s the text. It’s moving on…to another grade level. “I just don’t understand why….” you catch your breath, “it’s been the only book I liked …no, I loved… to teach.” You pause, ‘Why does it have to leave?” After all, you and the book have been together for school years. You […]
They’re More than Monuments… Reconsidering History in Classrooms
by: Daniel Osborn History educators are returning to their classrooms this fall after a summer that was full of discord surrounding the fate of monuments venerating Confederate leaders. The removal or proposed removal of statues from New Orleans, Louisiana to Charlottesville, Virginia exposed social divisions and revealed the divergent historical narratives told in this country. […]