January 6, 2021 Americans woke up on the morning of January 6, 2021, learning that Georgia elected its first African-American Senator–a historic event only to be overshadowed by thousands of Americans storming the Capitol building in the afternoon. On my commute home, my mother-in-law, a retired social studies teacher, texts me: “Protestors have invaded the […]
social studies
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
“Patriotic Education” is a Problem
Last week, TheEducatorsRoom hosted a Twitter Chat titled “Is Teaching Political?” It was a conversation prompted in part by President Trump’s announcement of a commission–The 1776 Commission–to design a “patriotic education” program one month earlier. At the heart of his plan is an opinion that “left-wing indoctrination in our schools” is destroying the country. Instead […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
10 Reasons Why American Reconstruction Is the Most Important Unit I’ll Teach This Year
When I first started teaching the second-half of American history, my colleagues and I fell in love with the curriculum. The Civil War, the World Wars, the industrialization and rise of America, and the jazz age all piqued our interests. But one unit that always left us wanting more was Reconstruction. Often glossed over as […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
It’s Time to take Social Studies Seriously in Schools
Quick request: Raise your hand if you took a Social Studies course in high school. Next, think about whether it was a required course or an elective. On June 1st, 2020, The Educators Room Instagram Account (@theeducatorsroom) reposted a post from Rachel (Goan) Turner’s Twitter account (@ChattanoogaChat) who tweeted about the future of Social Studies […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Teach Hard History. We All Need It
I am a social studies educator. Emblazoned on the wall of my classroom is a sign proclaiming “I Teach Hard History.” Earlier this year my students looked at vivid, graphic, and unfiltered views of the Middle Passage that brought enslaved Africans to the New World. I’ve challenged students to think about whether or not the […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Patriotism and Politics: “In God We Trust” in Public Schools
As the 2019-2020 school year commences, the calendar might as well read the year 1956–the year President Eisenhower included “one nation under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance and the national motto declared: “In God We Trust.” Although the futuristic year of 2020 is upon us, we continue to live in a time of anxiety […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Chasing the Sands of Time: Why Teachers Stand High in the Stream of History
Once in a while in the midst of life’s serpentine journey, the clockwork of life seems to slow for just a few moments. Something enormous and significant seems to swell within. Until very recently in human history, a person would describe this rare sensation as a rousing of “the soul,” an opening of the heavens, […]
Posted inFeatured
Discussing LGBTQIA+ issues in the classroom isn’t pushing a “gay agenda”
Right in the middle of teaching an important and empowering 6th-grade social issues unit, I had an unexpected visit from my principal. I was told that a complaint was received about me through my school’s anonymous tip line. The complaint suggested I shouldn’t be discussing LGBTQIA+ issues in the classroom. As we all know, you’re […]