A Grading Dilemma: Answering Kevin C.
Imagine that you teach Advanced Placement History at Monticello High School in suburbia, USA. It is your third year on the faculty. Kevin C. is a senior in your class, and he is a bright, strong and healthy young man. But as a student, he has poor habits. His concentration is weak, he doesn’t take notes in class and….Read more
Trump Encounters the Ghost of Abraham Lincoln
Good evening Mr. Trump, welcome to the White House. You are the latest person to take on the biggest responsibility in the world. It’s Abe Lincoln. I’ve been around for a while. May I share something with you, president to president, one Republican to another? A young lawyer needs work It comes in the form….Read more
US Constitution Contest Answers
The History Dr is proud to announce the astute winner of our first U.S. Constitution Quiz and Contest that was announced before Thanksgiving. The Constitution has seven articles and a Bill of Rights, which Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, among other founding fathers, disputed for years. That debate is alive and well. Although many people are quite familiar with the amendments, particularly the First….Read more
(VIDEO) How an Unprepared President from Another Century Fared in Office
Imagine a president with no training for the job. No political experience. Never held a government job. Could he succeed? In 1881, Chester Arthur was quaking in his boots at the thought of becoming the president, as President James Garfield valiantly struggled to recover from an assassin’s bullet in his chest. Even Alexander Graham Bell, using his prototype for….Read more
5 Tips for Teachers During Parent Teacher Conferences
After about 10 weeks of school and first report cards come parent teacher conferences. These conversations can be immensely productive, but there are some pitfalls we want to help you to avoid so you can shine. Let’s get the housekeeping out of the way Follow all procedures from your principal. You will be judged on….Read more
Power to the People, Not Elites, Said Jefferson (VIDEO)
Republicans were unhappy with Obama. Now the United States has a president-elect who Democrats (and not a few Republicans) think is a dangerous affront to our society. President-elect Trump’s supporters contend that the people have spoken and have rejected the self-serving opinions of the elites. What would Jefferson say today? In the early America of the 1790s, Alexander Hamilton felt his….Read more
Play US Constitution Bingo With Your Class!
United States Constitution Bingo Want a change of pace and a fun activity students will be excited to do? The History Dr’s US Constitution Bingo lesson plan is suitable for American history, law and government programs in middle and high schools. You can play as individuals or teams and allow internet access, but it’s not necessary. This lesson is also good for a….Read more
Avoiding Chaos When Your Class Has a Substitute
You know what happens when you’re out. You have a family emergency or illness and must call out of work that day. Students enter your classroom to find a substitute. A carnival atmosphere kicks in. The poor substitute just wants to survive the day while the principal just wants no injuries or obvious criminality. The substitute hands out some….Read more
5 Ways (Plus 2 No-Brainers) to Kill Your Chances of Getting Tenure
A hot topic in our society, teacher tenure is something we hope for if we do well at our jobs. Tenure is not automatic, however. You may be a good teacher but ruin your chances for tenure by any of the things I discuss here. For a new teacher or a veteran switching institutions, you are on probation; your job is….Read more
The Four Steps to Lesson Plan Design
From a guy who taught a lot of classes, let me nutshell it for you on lesson planning. An effective teaching lesson should do specific things. It is vital in your planning to understand how the brains of students actually work, to put those principles to use in maximizing what they learn. I’m summarizing here some of the elements of Madeline Hunter‘s Instructional….Read more