Tool for a Better World.

Man, teaching history during presidential campaigns can be tough.  This year has been my 5th Presidential election as a teacher, and (as always), the passion bubble of everyone, despite political leanings, is near the surface.  And yet, I find myself filled with hope and optimism about my students, and about my work.


It is true that the development of democracy in ancient Athens coincided directly with the rise of compulsory education for citizens (best represented by Raphael's 1511 School of Athens).  And (possibly as a result of this) our democratic elections have a way of  reminding me why I started teaching in the first place.

School of Athens

When I look out at my classes, and see all the different classes of people, different ethnicities, and different political leanings - I see my role so clearly: to create a safe place for the exchange of important ideas, and model passion and positivity.

With the anti-establishment and anti-institutional mood so pervasive in our country currently, public schools can still be a force for good, and fertile ground for the development and creation of innovative ideas.  As so many adults essentially live in an echo chamber, most consistently hearing the voices with which they agree, at the expense of all opposing viewpoints - a classroom full of 30+ students (from widely different backgrounds) is a treasure that must be nourished.


We can learn together, and we can inspire each other.

Whether we are making women's suffrage posters, or writing an essay on the role of art and innovation in history - we are constantly in the act of discovering how we give our world meaning.

And it works!  We get smarter, we become more self-aware, we come to better understand one another.  And we get better, and our hope grows.

I am so grateful to believe in it, and I am lucky to have a job that I love, but that is also a tool for a better world.