Category: Personal Blog

  • Movie Review: Stranger Things Final Season

    The End of Stranger Things: A Decade-Long Journey Concludes I finished Stranger Things Season 5 not because I desperately wanted to see what happened next, but because I’d invested too much time not to see it through. That realization, more than anything else about the final season, tells you everything you need to know about…

  • 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…