Finding Passion in November

I'm sure most teachers would agree-- November is tough. It's only my second year teaching, and I'm worn out by Thanksgiving. These five days off are like a dream come true!

Wisconsin's State Report Cards were released a few weeks ago. Fortunately, my district received a passing score, but the school at which I teach did not. It was a little demoralizing to find this out at first, especially in the trenches of November. However, after a few hours of wondering, "How could we fail?" my inner dialogue shifted to, "What can I do to help us pass next year?" And it excited me to think about the possibilities! As a teacher I feel I have a responsibility to educate ALL of my students as best as I can, and even though a failing score isn't good, it ignited a greater desire to improve my craft.

The first thing I did was pick up a book and read. Though books aren't "fix-alls," I do think learning from another person's perspective can help. I started reading, "For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood: And the Rest of Y'all Too." Though I don't technically teach in the "hood," I serve a diverse urban school. Dr. Emdin's prose about the neoindigenous youth who feel invisible at school seemed to ring true to the students I teach.

Though I haven't completed the book yet, I hope to gain more insight about my students' needs both in and out of my classroom.

Podcasts for History Teachers

I recently went to a seminar on Abraham Lincoln and the Constitution in Springfield, Illinois. Though the stipend included everything, including travel, I figured the 4 hour drive wouldn’t be too difficult.

I know I’m probably about 5 years behind the trend, but I’ve really enjoyed podcasts lately. I don’t have a lot of time to listen to long podcasts everyday, but the solo ride down to Springfield provided the perfect opportunity to listen to a few. Because the seminar was about Lincoln, I listened to “Presidential” by the Washington Post. Each episode covers one U.S. president, and the qualities that made him presidential. I really enjoy this podcast because it’s host and creator interviews experts on each president, so the information shared is sure to be as accurate as possible!

I listen to other podcasts, as well. Most of them are about history, because there are so many great ones. I’ve compiled a list of podcasts that I enjoy listening to. I haven’t tried to incorporate podcasts into my instruction yet, but I would like to investigate and brainstorm ways to utilize them in class. It would be really cool to “flip” my class and have students listen to podcasts at night for homework, and then dive deeper into a topic during class.

1. Presidential by the Washington Post

• Each episode (ranging from about 30 minutes to 1 hour) covers one United States President. Experts discuss the qualities that made that president “presidential.” For instance, the Abraham Lincoln episode looks in depth at Lincoln’s talent for writing and speaking, which was truly unmatched by any other president.

2. Truth for Teachers by Angela Watson

• Each podcast, updated every Sunday, contains a story or words of encouragement for teachers to help them through the following week. Very inspirational

3. Backstory

• This podcast is created by the American History Guys. Each episode covers a topic that is little known but very engaging! Some examples of recent podcast topics include: a History of Trash, the story of American Tourism, a History of Disability in America, and many more. These are all topics that have fascinating stories, but most of us don’t really know them.

4. History Chicks

• This podcast is awesome. Two women spend each episode discussing an important woman from history. I like that this podcast is exclusive to women, since they are so often overlooked in history.

5. 1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories and Mysteries

• All of the cool, intriguing, scary, harrowing stories of history that you haven’t heard are in this podcast. Recently it covered the legend of the killer clown dragging children into the forest, as well as Civil War stories, sports stories, stories of legendary canines, and so much more.

6. History of Pirates

• Who doesn’t like to learn about pirates?!?! My favorite episode is about the Vikings, titled, “Part Time Pirates.”

My Quest: Social Media in the Classroom

Hello! My name is Angela Gerloski, and I'm a high school history teacher in West Allis, Wisconsin. I focus primarily on teaching World History and United States Government. My primary purpose for starting this blog is to reflect on teaching practices I incorporate in my instruction.

One of the most exciting things about being a history teacher is being able to share my love of history each and every day. My primary goal is to inspire students to enjoy their education in history as much as possible.

The good things about teaching at the high school level are mixed with some not so good things, too. As a new teacher, it's been difficult to navigate the growing presence of personal technology in the classroom. Last year (my first year as a teacher) I took the no tolerance approach. Unfortunately, that approach didn't exactly work, and actually made me more frustrated with students' inability to separate from their technology for an hour.

So, this year I'm excited to take a new approach: "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em," as they say. Because cell phones, iPads, smart watches, instagram, snapchat, and (of course) the internet are here to stay, I plan to adjust my approach to teaching by incorporating them into my instruction!

I'm not sure where exactly this project will take me, or how successful it will be, but this journey down the rabbit hole of social media will be interesting and informative for sure. Please follow along and give your feedback-- I would love to hear it!