Memorial Day Lesson/Project Ideas

Most teachers in the social sciences discuss the wars that America has been a part of. It’s also important to discuss the people and places. Here in Arizona, we often remember Pat Tillman, a NFL player who left to enlist in the Army after the 9/11 attacks. Pat Tillman was killed in Afghanistan and is […]

Reflecting After the Test or At The End of the Year

I never wanted to be that teacher who got stale. After I did my National Board Certification, I constantly was in a state of reflection. I tried to make the class enjoyable, rigorous and not increase my workload or make life harder for anyone. The day after the AP test, I had students reflect while […]

{Guest Post} How to Be an Expert in the Classroom with Brit Bingold

I was given an awesome opportunity to be on Liz Evans’ podcast, Teaching History, Politics, and Stuff, which was a joy and a “taste of my own medicine” as she was on Learning Unlocked in Season 1, Episode 11: “How to Avoid Teacher Burnout and the Comparison Trap.” When she came onto the podcast last […]

Teaching AP Government Resource Round Up

Last year, around this time, I was looking at my calendar for Spring 2020 and knew I needed a solid plan because my semester was short (to the test), and I needed to make the best of my time. Add in the usual college visits, random Arizona illnesses, and other things my days would have […]

Children’s Literature in AP Government

My bachelor’s degree is in Elementary Education, and I spent six years in PreK to 4th-grade classrooms. I worked in a preschool during high school and college, and I thought for sure I’d be an elementary teacher. However, as the story goes, I did not become an elementary teacher. That doesn’t mean some teaching techniques […]

Tips for Reducing Burn Out For Teachers

Listen to my podcast interview about this topic! Burnout is a topic for every year, but especially this year, with everything being new and uncertain. I’ve written about my reflections on remote teaching. I have been working with teachers all summer and listening to teachers, as well as brainstorming. If we are honest here, it’s […]