Erika Cooke

There were some so big this year they couldn't get through a door and had to turn sideways!

To use the primary sources to show the complexities of the human experience. Explaining why even with vast numbers, the laws made to maintain a system of inhumane behavior to a student who thinks it would've been so simple. That empathy will get us to a greater future.

The honor to be asked to write a letter of recommendation for a stellar student who will go on to fabulous things. To explain the complaint about having to teach yourself before going to class is what college classes are like. That a history or humanities degree will get you far in life.

The students that challenge themselves by taking an advanced class and a college credit class for the first time their junior year in high school. Hearing they've never liked history before, but having interactive activities and simulations makes learning and understanding fun.

Seeing the face when the why makes sense. Why human choice can explain human action. Enormous homecoming mums in Texas. The excitement to read a fabulous book about the Cuban Missile Crisis for an academic extracurricular competition. Express love for the opportunity to learn about the Cold War.

Hearing about how they're connecting the Kievan Rus to the current situation in Ukraine. Seeing any current event reflected in world events of the past. Learning to source documents and construct a historically defensible claim that establishes a line of reasoning. Understanding agency.

Reasons to Teach High School History when the World is on Fire

Students in West Texas seeing the rest of the world for the first time when they study Song China and Srivajaya and the Abbasids fighting the Mamluks and Ethiopia and the Mexica and Inca. Seeing how the world developed from that point.

I would love to write a complimentary thread about Reasons to Teach High School History when the World is on Fire, but it would be a pale imitation of these beautiful words.

A small whiskey glass with a pour of excellent Scotch on an outside patio table.

This week has been one dumbass year. I deserve this Ardbeg Unicorn.

Newswest 9 | Midland, Texas | newswest9.com NewsWest9.com is the official website for KWES-TV, Channel 9, your trusted source for breaking news, weather and sports in Midland, TX. NewsWest9.com

Midland teacher fired over comments on Charlie Kirk's death | newswest9.com share.google/6Ig0SqBtqW4s...

10/10. No notes.

I said what I said and I'll stand by it until the end.

But they're still going to have to take standardized tests right? That, you know, have them read questions and choose an answer? That have them write a response to a prompt? SAT, ACT, AP tests, etc., aren't changing their format anytime soon.

My students hate AI. I do too.

So Brooks is basically saying he doesn't like to give money to programs to help the poor because it shows a moral failing to be in poverty and he doesn't want to support that. How very Puritan of him.

My high school students have told me they're glad we're pretty much only on paper.

Which is going to be hard with my district trying to limit paper now. But I'll buy my own paper if I have to.

Howdy y'all.

They also break the law by not wearing a seatbelt driving around DC because they're afraid of being carjacked.

This is up there with my fashion pet peeves of pajamas aren't clothes for outside the house and leggings aren't real pants.

Hills I will die on.

Listen, living in Texas is rough right now. Being a teacher is hard because of the interference from the legislature and my local school district board stacked with Tim Dunn picks. But this joke has never been more true:

Why doesn't Texas fall into the Gulf of Mexico?

Because Oklahoma sucks.

I am a public school social studies teacher with graduate work in US Constitutional history. This isn't anywhere close to a civics test. #27 does not have a correct option. What an absolute embarrassment and insult to teachers with college degrees.

The most insulting part? PragerU is PROUD of this.

To add to this: my school district won't allow teachers any fundraising. They don't want it to look like they can't support the teachers. So the only thing I could do is an Amazon wish list for personal classroom supplies. Donors Choose and other fundraising sites are essentially banned.

JK and all her followers are the textbook example of being angry about not being the main character and the TERF shit is just their attempt to change that.

The mold in the castle is just *chefs kiss* and I am all in for team mold. May it ever have favorable growing conditions!

I don't think the board realizes their decision is making a name for them outside of Midland they won't own up to.

1. Midland ISD is still under a desegregation order.
2. Midland ISD has a $7.8 million budget deficit and the 4 members of the board want to pay for this.
3. Midland ISD passed a compensation manual to under pay teachers like me and not give a full $5k raise from the state.

Inside Trump's push against school desegregation plans Lifting desegregation policies set by federal rules and court orders — some of them a half-century old — could lead to a range of changes in more than 80 school systems.

Links:
1. Inside Trump's push against school desegregation plans share.google/ax7w4GUg9wiO...
2. Proposed Midland ISD budget has $7.8 million deficit share.google/upAWRvtHrf63...
3. Salary Information share.google/CP04BsFpzKqt...

www.texastribune.org/2025/08/11/m... They voted 4-3 to change the name back. A few things:
1. Midland ISD is still under a desegregation order.
2. Midland ISD currently has a $7.8 million budget shortfall.
3. Midland ISD implemented a salary schedule that did not give all employees the $5k raise.

I didn't join #HATM tonight because I want to see both parts together. But -

1. As a child it was Sound of Music. As an adult it's Waitress. As an educator and historian it's the Music Man and Hamilton.
2. We had wiener schnitzel (veal yay!) with German potatoes and creamy cucumber salad. And wine

I remember in my second year of teaching I had my mom help me make posters for my classroom. They were for Policies and Expectations that I wanted and were on poster board I'd bought on my own. My first year teaching I lived with my grandmother and had her help me grade student work.

I've heard this sure of things for years in west Texas re: Roman Catholic. Students will say they're Catholic and think it's not Christian, because Christians go to the Church of Christ. So Catholic must be different. There are many Evangelicals here that really want it to be thought of that way.

I've seen it and I agree about not being a Will Ferrell fan. I got through it due to the rest of the cast, but am not watching tonight.