Teacher stories, interviews, and videos related to history and social studies.
I decided to become a teacher when I was in undergrad and initially pursued a degree in education. But after a few years, taking courses and managing college life and classes became complicated. I ended up changing my major, but…
I was sworn into my role on the DC State Board of Education in January 2023. Over the last two years, one key accomplishment has been revising and updating DC’s social studies standards. As a social studies teacher, it was an honor to have a direct say in the revision process and ultimately get a vote to approve the new standards.
Hurricane Katrina, COVID, and the Ten Commandments in New Orleans. My mom has been teaching for fifty years. I grew up with her, literally grading papers and cooking at the same time. Back then, I never wanted to be a…
I studied history at the University of Michigan, and I played music for fun. I thought, ‘Okay, I'll graduate, and then I'll go start a band.’ That's what I did. We were called ‘Or, The Whale.’ I ended up moving…
When I was going into high school, I wanted to be a lawyer. That was my goal. I got into boarding school and during my freshman year, I played football. At the end of my freshman year, they cut the…
I grew up in New Jersey. I was born in Brooklyn, and my parents own a pizzeria in Manhattan. I spent a considerable chunk of my teenage years helping out at the pizzeria. I was a terrible student in high…
I pretty much always knew I wanted to work with kids because I always found joy in it. I felt I had innate instincts, and I knew how to navigate different situations. When I was seven or eight years old,…
Throughout this month, we celebrate Black excellence, heritage, and tradition. Though it’s crucial to honor Black history all year long, Black History Month invites teachers to dig deeper, provide students with more context, and connect the past to the present in meaningful ways.
For the majority of my life, I was convinced that my road ended with me becoming an attorney. My family set the value that attorney was the route to go, and I thought I was pretty good at public speaking…
My family is from a small village in Guanajuato, Mexico. My dad had been coming to the United States since he was 15 to provide for his family. My mom was hesitant to leave her family and friends, but she…