Category: Personal Blog

  • Merry Christmas

    Hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas.

  • A Year in Books: 2024-2025 Reading List

    This year marked a transformative period in my reading life, with audiobooks becoming my primary mode of historical engagement while physical and digital formats served different purposes. Below is a complete accounting of my reading organized by format, along with recommendations for educators and history enthusiasts who might benefit from these works. Part One: Historic…

  • The Skills Gap: When AI Becomes a Crutch Instead of a Tool

    I’ve been teaching social studies long enough to remember when the biggest challenge was getting students to put away their phones during class discussions. Now? The phone isn’t just a distraction; it’s their first stop for every answer, every question, every moment of cognitive discomfort. Here’s the thing that keeps me up at night: I’m…

  • Happy Snow Day Kentucky

  • The Heart of Leadership: Valuing Others Above Self

    Today’s conversation with my freshmen about altruistic and culturally competent leadership reminded me why I love teaching government and civics. When we stripped away all the complexity, the students kept circling back to something fundamental: real leaders care about other people more than themselves. This isn’t the leadership we see valorized in movies or celebrated…

  • Keep Discovery at Udvar-Hazy: A Case for Preserving Context Over Politics

    The article argues for keeping Space Shuttle Discovery at Udvar-Hazy, emphasizing its historical context, accessibility, and educational value, while proposing Houston focus on modern spaceflight narratives.