Education
Inspirational Finale
Maintaining the attention and the enthusiasm of middle school students, at any time, under any circumstances, for longer than a minute or two, is a daunting task. Particularly on the very last week of school when they, and their peers,…
One Small Step
Ten years ago today, at the age of 31, after more than a decade of cleaning grills, waiting tables, and overcoming a few too many adolescent mistakes, I walked across a stage in South Florida, proudly counting myself among the…
No More Object Lessons
Five years ago, I was hired to teach Web Design at a Central Florida Title I Middle School. I had no intention of staying longer than a year at most. Part of me thought I would leave after six months.…
When They Were Teenagers
True story. James Monroe was only 18 when he fought for the American Revolution; quitting college to serve at the aid of General Washington who had also left school, at the age of 15, to survey the American landscape. True…
Calendar of Presidents
What does an amateur historian and instructional web design teacher with more than 100 books written by and about the American Presidency do with extra time off on Presidents’ Day Weekend? He starts building an online annotated Calendar of Presidential…
Back to the Drawing Board
For those who do not teach, let me explain the difference between just knowing information and being able to teach it. Every student in the world, whether they be young or old, battles with boredom and lethargy. The job of…
The Retelling of Tragedy
This afternoon, I encountered a group of children born several months after the events we try so hard to Never Forget. They listened. We shared. But I could see in their eyes that it wasn’t a part of their story…
