Once upon a time, I would hear politicians speak of returning the United States to its “Founding Principles,” and I would simply chalk it up to a type of misguided patriotism - the “Spirit of 1776,” if you will. Recently, I’ve come to realize that either through my own naivety or a lack of understanding … Continue reading Ideals
US History
Facts
Imagine the following scene in a high school classroom near you. "Good morning class! My name is Mr. T and welcome to US History. I can see some of you looking around the room for your old teacher, Mr. O. He's been fired, and I'll be taking his place. Let me tell you, this class … Continue reading Facts
Hope
Warning: This is a post about the election. If you're sick of reading about it, stop now. You're still reading. You've been warned. This is your last chance to turn back. Still here? Well okay then. Here we go. After teaching AP US History for a little over a decade, I've come to realize … Continue reading Hope
Fishing
In the days leading up to the Cub Scout camping trip that we went on in October, my son asked over and over if we would be able to go fishing while we were there. He had asked to go fishing numerous times before, and like any good father I just kept saying, "I'll take you sometime … Continue reading Fishing
Breathing
Today, I started the fifth week of school. I managed to survive the first four weeks, and I finally feel like I'm mostly caught up...for now. As any teacher can tell you, there is always work to do, even over the summer. It just happens from time to time that there may not be anything … Continue reading Breathing
Backward
When I first began teaching AP US History, I thought I knew a great deal about our nation's history. I was wrong. Partly through completing graduate school, partly from leisure reading, and partly out of necessity, I've learned more about US History in the past nine years than I could possibly teach to my students … Continue reading Backward
Reading
I don't really like to travel. Okay, that's not completely accurate. I enjoy visiting different locations away from home. I just don't enjoy the travelling part of travel. I need to get a teleportation device of some kind to beam me where I want to go. At any rate, I am currently in Louisville, Kentucky … Continue reading Reading
