A Letter to my first year teaching self

To Liz, during her first year of teaching in 2003, Teaching is your passion, and things will change drastically in the next two decades. Right now, you are sure that elementary is your path, but that will change with the job market and a chance interview that leads you to teach English and Social Studies […]

Roles of the President, Political ideology, and the State of the Union

When you are short on time, need a sub plan, or simply want a good assessment that is not a multiple choice test, consider using primary sources such as the State of the Union. They are usually chock full of great examples of political ideology, roles of the President, and powers of the President. I […]

The Four Things that Elevated my Teaching career

My teaching career has been a bit unconventional. During my time in college, I was sure I’d be an early elementary teacher. My degree is in early childhood education, and I did my student teaching in a kindergarten classroom. The job market in 2003, when I graduated, wasn’t fantastic. I secured a job as an […]

Celebrating Justice Sandra Day O’Connor

September 13, 2022 Podcast with Sarah Suggs, President, and CEO of the O’Connor Institute for American Democracy. In Arizona, September 25 is Sandra Day O’Connor Day, celebrating the day she was sworn in as the first female Supreme Court Justice. On a few occasions, I’ve met Justice O’Connor, work with her civic education organization, iCivics, […]

Three Tips for AP Social Studies Writing

Start here for AP Government-Specific Essays. Familiarize yourself with the rubric and befriend the revision process To know how you will be graded, familiarize yourself with the AP rubrics. Spend as much time with them as possible. Secondly, here, the best writing comes from revision. Task risks in writing and revise, revise, revise. Take time […]

Simple September

A look at how I am preparing to make September a simpler month.