Teacher conferences can often feel like a luxury, especially when it means creating sub plans for a few days on top of lesson planning, meetings, and everything else we have to juggle as teachers. Many times I have found myself questioning whether attending a conference was really worth the time and cost. However, after I attended my first conference I realized that the answer was a clear and resounding yes. It was there that I was introduced to fresh ideas and connected with

There are times when I feel discouraged about being a teacher. Some days certainly weigh heavier than others, and there are moments when I quietly wonder if I should step away from the classroom altogether. Teaching can be exhausting in ways that are hard to explain unless you have lived it. The constant decisions, emotional investment, and the feeling that no matter how much you give, it never feels like enough. On those days, I open my binder. Inside that binder are the no

I’ll be honest, when I first started incorporating history contents into my classroom I really wasn’t sure how it would go. Between pacing guides, testing schedules, and everything else that teachers are required to do, adding new things can be difficult and feel overwhelming. I quickly learned though, that history contests don’t really add more work. They simply added more purpose to the work I was already assigning.  I would say that a majority of the contests that I have

History contests help students see that their work matters beyond a grade. When essays, art, or research are shared outside the classroom, students take greater ownership of learning. They revise more carefully, ask stronger questions, and build confidence. For teachers, contests align easily with curriculum and standards while offering meaningful, real world purpose that motivates students to engage deeply with history. This approach builds skills, curiosity, and lasting con

The Daughters of the Republic of Texas Essay and Art Contests are a natural fit in my Texas History classroom because they align closely with what students are already learning.