Sassafras Mama

The backstory: As we wind down the school year, my 8th grade class had an in-class work day for their final project.   Long ago, I learned ...

The backstory:   W e are studying George Washington’s presidency and I explained to my class the issues that drove the Jay Treaty.   Discus...

The backstory:   We are using a new (and incredibly powerful!) computer program to draft Middle School class assignments for the next schoo...

The backstory: One of my Assistant Principal responsibilities is to be a presence at school events.  Sometimes that means cheering on the ...

The backstory:   I have a collection of political buttons dating back to the 1940s and they hang in my office.  Each year, I pull out a few...

The backstory:   7th grade history class is closing in on the start of the Civil War and the students are exploring the events of the 1850s...

The backstory:   7th grade history curriculum covers the first half of U.S. history, from colonial settlement to the Battle of Gettysburg, ...

The backstory:   My 7th graders are working with historical documents from the Louisiana Purchase era, including a series of letters Presid...

The backstory:   You have read before about my friend S’s daughter P , known to me and the world she will shortly conquer as Baby Hot Sauce...

The backstory:  My 7th graders are creating American history-themed amusement parks as their final class project.  By necessity, this means...

The backstory:   I’ve a colleague who is a dad-on-his own with two kids: G, a clever 1st grader, and P, a handful of a three year old, also...

The backstory: Typically, our Middle School students wait outside the classroom if their teacher isn’t in the room.  Since 12 and 13 year ...

The backstory:   My 6th graders are studying Medieval Europe and are designing their own coat of arms.  As part of that process, we learned...

The backstory:   7th graders at my school learn the first half of U.S. History and are seeking to understand some pretty complicated subjec...

The backstory:   In a Middle School creative writing class, 6th graders were being reminded that their stories may feature lots of imaginar...

The backstory:   My 6th graders offer a whole new world view, as was the case in this conversation I had with student V about time manageme...

The backstory:   Last year, I began to teach my classes using an iPad and Apple TV.  I learned how to manage the equipment in my classroom ...

The backstory:   In my American Government classes, we study a couple of textbook chapters that cover civil liberties and civil rights.  The...

The backstory:   My daily job entails spending time with 9 through 12th graders. In the  flow of those days, I'm working with students w...

The backstory: I teach an Advanced Placement Government course to 12th graders who are students in a school with grades running from pre-sc...