Adam Moler @moler3031 - Bluesky Profile

The Week That Was In 103 This week in Room 103 was about helping students see how government systems actually work. Instead of rushing from topic to topic, we focused on sequencing ideas, revisiting concepts, and using familiar routines to build understanding over time. From checks and balances to federalism, each lesson was designed to move ideas from abstract definitions to real situations students experience every day.

The Week That Was In 103

This week in Room 103 was about helping students see how government systems actually work. Instead of rushing from topic to topic, we focused on sequencing ideas, revisiting concepts, and using familiar routines to build understanding over time. From checks and balances to…

13.02.2026 23:15 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The Week That Was In 103 This week marked the start of our new unit on the Principles of the Constitution. The focus was not on racing through content, but on building understanding step by step. Each lesson was intentionally designed to move from identifying ideas, to comparing them, and eventually to applying them. By the end of the week, it was clear that slowing down, naming the big ideas, and letting students wrestle with them made a real difference.

The Week That Was In 103

This week marked the start of our new unit on the Principles of the Constitution. The focus was not on racing through content, but on building understanding step by step. Each lesson was intentionally designed to move from identifying ideas, to comparing them, and…

06.02.2026 22:13 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The Week That Was in 103 This post is going to look a little different because, well… the week looked a little different. About 12 inches of snow different. Monday and Tuesday disappeared thanks to winter weather, and Wednesday through Friday were all late starts. So instead of our usual rhythm, we had a shortened, stop-and-start week right as we were beginning our Constitution unit. Not ideal timing, but sometimes you just roll with what you get and adjust on the fly.

The Week That Was in 103

This post is going to look a little different because, well… the week looked a little different. About 12 inches of snow different. Monday and Tuesday disappeared thanks to winter weather, and Wednesday through Friday were all late starts. So instead of our usual rhythm,…

30.01.2026 22:22 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Primary Sources, Forgotten Warnings, and Why I Keep Posting Old Quotes Lately I have been posting quotes from the Founders and early American history. Not to sound smart and not to start a fight. I do it because there is a clear line between what they wrote then and what we are living through now. The irony is obvious once you actually read the words. The warnings are sitting right there in plain English.

Primary Sources, Forgotten Warnings, and Why I Keep Posting Old Quotes

Lately I have been posting quotes from the Founders and early American history. Not to sound smart and not to start a fight. I do it because there is a clear line between what they wrote then and what we are living through now.…

24.01.2026 21:41 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The Week That Was In 103 Tuesday After a long weekend, we jumped back into our Text Quest and focused on the Three-fifths Compromise and the compromise over the Atlantic slave trade. To check what stuck from last week, we opened with a Quizizz. Class averages came in at 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, and 94%. I will take that. We are trending up and holding onto content.

The Week That Was In 103

Tuesday After a long weekend, we jumped back into our Text Quest and focused on the Three-fifths Compromise and the compromise over the Atlantic slave trade. To check what stuck from last week, we opened with a Quizizz. Class averages came in at 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, and…

24.01.2026 15:02 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The Week That Was In 103 "Hey, send me a picture of the homework that you finished when you get home." That was a text I overheard this week and it hit me. Sometimes I feel the pressure in my new school to give homework. I was told it is an expectation. But I do not always give homework because I try to use our class time wisely.

The Week That Was In 103

"Hey, send me a picture of the homework that you finished when you get home." That was a text I overheard this week and it hit me. Sometimes I feel the pressure in my new school to give homework. I was told it is an expectation. But I do not always give homework because I…

16.01.2026 22:17 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The Week That Was In 103 This was our first week back from winter break, and I’m going to be honest. There are days where I feel exhausted and stuck in a rut. Some days it feels like I’m doing stuff just to do it, and other days it feels purposeful. Some days I feel like I’m lacking creativity. I’m just tired. As my friend Dr. Scott Petri used to say, “Moler, your worst days of teaching and lessons are someone’s best day.” Some days I remind myself of that, just to get perspective.

The Week That Was In 103

This was our first week back from winter break, and I’m going to be honest. There are days where I feel exhausted and stuck in a rut. Some days it feels like I’m doing stuff just to do it, and other days it feels purposeful. Some days I feel like I’m lacking creativity.…

09.01.2026 22:22 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The Week That Was In 103 This week was a weird one heading into winter break. Monday started as a two-hour delay, but the cold did not play nicely with the salt. Roads iced over, conditions got worse, and the day was eventually called off. Over the weekend, I had a freak accident and hit my head, which led to concussion symptoms. Headache and dizziness lingered into Monday and Tuesday, so I missed school on Tuesday.

The Week That Was In 103

This week was a weird one heading into winter break. Monday started as a two-hour delay, but the cold did not play nicely with the salt. Roads iced over, conditions got worse, and the day was eventually called off. Over the weekend, I had a freak accident and hit my head,…

20.12.2025 20:25 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The Week That Was in 103 Monday Setting the Stage for the Declaration Monday was all about setting the stage for the Declaration of Independence. This was not the deep dive yet. It was about building background knowledge and telling the story behind the document. We started with an image of the Declaration itself. I told the story of Thomas Jefferson writing it. Jefferson was a quiet, soft spoken individual, not someone who demanded attention, but someone who could write like no one else.

The Week That Was in 103

Monday Setting the Stage for the Declaration Monday was all about setting the stage for the Declaration of Independence. This was not the deep dive yet. It was about building background knowledge and telling the story behind the document. We started with an image of the…

12.12.2025 21:01 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The Week That Was In 103 Monday We kicked off the week by jumping straight into one of the most confusing and debated moments in early American history, the Battle of Lexington. The goal wasn’t just to learn what happened, but to help students build their own interpretations using evidence, perspective, and context. And honestly? Monday delivered. A Documentary Hook We opened with a three minute clip from the brand-new Ken Burns…

The Week That Was In 103

Monday We kicked off the week by jumping straight into one of the most confusing and debated moments in early American history, the Battle of Lexington. The goal wasn’t just to learn what happened, but to help students build their own interpretations using evidence,…

05.12.2025 20:18 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Quick Thought: If You Feel Behind, You’re Not Alone I was scrolling through my own blog the other day, looking back at what I did at this time last year, and it hit me. I am four full weeks behind where I was. Last year I had 65 minute classes. I had 180 school days. I had far fewer interruptions and almost zero strange schedules. This year I’m teaching 40 to 45 minute classes.

Quick Thought: If You Feel Behind, You’re Not Alone

I was scrolling through my own blog the other day, looking back at what I did at this time last year, and it hit me. I am four full weeks behind where I was. Last year I had 65 minute classes. I had 180 school days. I had far fewer interruptions…

02.12.2025 21:17 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The Week That Was In 103 Monday Monday was one of those keep the storyline going days. We are still building the Road to the Revolution, but instead of dumping vocab or giving kids a list of causes, I am trying to tell it like an actual unfolding story through the people who lived it. I pulled a short video from the American Battlefield Trust that covered the Boston Tea Party and the punishments that followed.

The Week That Was In 103

Monday Monday was one of those keep the storyline going days. We are still building the Road to the Revolution, but instead of dumping vocab or giving kids a list of causes, I am trying to tell it like an actual unfolding story through the people who lived it. I pulled a…

21.11.2025 23:07 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Quick Thought – More Than A, B, C, or D I never really thought about this until I had a brief conversation with two parents this afternoon. They were touring the school, thinking about sending their child here next year, and they stopped by my room. My students were working on their summative assessment for our Road to the Revolution unit. It is an argumentative one pager answering the question, “Why did loyal colonists begin fighting against their own government?”

Quick Thought – More Than A, B, C, or D

I never really thought about this until I had a brief conversation with two parents this afternoon. They were touring the school, thinking about sending their child here next year, and they stopped by my room. My students were working on their summative…

21.11.2025 03:13 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Rethinking How I Teach the Road to the Revolution I’ve been watching Ken Burns’ new documentary, The American Revolution, and it hit me just how much is packed into this era. Abstract ideas. Complicated politics. Dozens of events. And honestly, the way I used to teach it wasn’t doing anyone any favors. My old approach was pretty typical: start with some vocab, squeeze in the French and Indian War, sprint through every tax over 2–3 days, toss in salutary neglect somewhere, then protests, then the Boston Massacre as a one-off, then the Tea Party and Intolerable Acts, and finally the Declaration and natural rights.

Rethinking How I Teach the Road to the Revolution

I’ve been watching Ken Burns’ new documentary, The American Revolution, and it hit me just how much is packed into this era. Abstract ideas. Complicated politics. Dozens of events. And honestly, the way I used to teach it wasn’t doing anyone any…

19.11.2025 00:32 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

The Week That Was in 103 This week in 103 was all about building a bigger story. We moved from Samuel Adams to the Stamp Act protests, into the Townshend Acts, and finally circled back to the Boston Massacre with fresh eyes. Even though we had shortened classes on a few days, the structure of the protocols kept things tight and focused. Students were constantly reading, creating, discussing, and explaining.

The Week That Was in 103

This week in 103 was all about building a bigger story. We moved from Samuel Adams to the Stamp Act protests, into the Townshend Acts, and finally circled back to the Boston Massacre with fresh eyes. Even though we had shortened classes on a few days, the structure of the…

15.11.2025 15:47 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The Week That Was in 103 Monday and Tuesday Monday and Tuesday were all about performance-based assessments. I’ve been wrestling with a question that probably crosses a lot of teachers’ minds at some point: Am I doing enough to prepare my students for what comes next? Most social studies classes lean on multiple-choice tests, short answers, and essays. I rarely do. My students spend more time creating, connecting, and explaining.

The Week That Was in 103

Monday and Tuesday Monday and Tuesday were all about performance-based assessments. I’ve been wrestling with a question that probably crosses a lot of teachers’ minds at some point: Am I doing enough to prepare my students for what comes next? Most social studies classes…

07.11.2025 20:32 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The Week That Was In 103 This week in 103 was packed with movement, discussion, and meaningful writing. The lessons built on each other, using EduProtocols that pushed students to analyze, connect, and create rather than memorize. We used CyberSandwich for deep reading and partner discussion, Snorkl for instant writing feedback, SWBST Sketch and Tell to help students visualize and summarize key events, Map and Tell to analyze spatial change, and Twelve-Topic Stitch-Up to review and connect ideas across multiple units.

The Week That Was In 103

This week in 103 was packed with movement, discussion, and meaningful writing. The lessons built on each other, using EduProtocols that pushed students to analyze, connect, and create rather than memorize. We used CyberSandwich for deep reading and partner discussion,…

01.11.2025 17:21 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Things That Shaped Me: Simple, Not Simpler Sometimes I feel like I’ve lived a few different lives.My parents are divorced, so I grew up splitting time between two worlds, a suburban neighborhood and stretches of country backroads. I’ve been on tractors, in tobacco fields, in college classrooms, and on tennis courts. There’s some country in me. I love country music, I work hard, and I’m not afraid to roll up my sleeves and get after it.

Things That Shaped Me: Simple, Not Simpler

Sometimes I feel like I’ve lived a few different lives.My parents are divorced, so I grew up splitting time between two worlds, a suburban neighborhood and stretches of country backroads. I’ve been on tractors, in tobacco fields, in college classrooms,…

29.10.2025 20:34 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The Week That Was in 103 Monday - Mercantilism Rack and Stack Tuesday and Wednesday - Stations, Questions Friday - Colonial Government Vocab, Finish the Drawing Monday The Question That Drove the Lesson This week’s focus was one word with a big question behind it: How did mercantilism shape opportunity and inequality in the 13 colonies? Starting with Context We began with an Annotate and Tell that served two purposes.

The Week That Was in 103

Monday - Mercantilism Rack and Stack Tuesday and Wednesday - Stations, Questions Friday - Colonial Government Vocab, Finish the Drawing Monday The Question That Drove the Lesson This week’s focus was one word with a big question behind it: How did mercantilism shape…

26.10.2025 02:09 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The Week That Was In 103 This week we wrapped up our last unit and began a new one. The transition brought a nice mix of reflection and fresh energy as students finished their Netflix series projects and shifted into our study of the 13 Colonies. We moved from storytelling and creative thinking to deeper analysis and discussion, setting the stage for our new compelling question: Was colonial America a land of opportunity or inequality?

The Week That Was In 103

This week we wrapped up our last unit and began a new one. The transition brought a nice mix of reflection and fresh energy as students finished their Netflix series projects and shifted into our study of the 13 Colonies. We moved from storytelling and creative thinking to…

17.10.2025 22:35 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

How I Actually Use ChatGPT To Build a Unit The 13 Colonies Inquiry Unit Link The Common Mistake A lot of people open ChatGPT, type “make me a lesson plan,” and press go. It spits out something that looks ready to teach, but it doesn’t know your room. It doesn’t know your pacing, your standards, your textbook, or your teaching style. If you really want ChatGPT to plan with you, you have to treat it like a coplanner, not a shortcut.

How I Actually Use ChatGPT To Build a Unit

The 13 Colonies Inquiry Unit Link The Common Mistake A lot of people open ChatGPT, type “make me a lesson plan,” and press go. It spits out something that looks ready to teach, but it doesn’t know your room. It doesn’t know your pacing, your standards,…

11.10.2025 14:40 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Using ChatGPT to Make Quizzes (Without Losing Your Mind) AI can be a real time saver when it comes to making quizzes. I’ve used ChatGPT plenty of times to build question banks I can plug right into Gimkit or Quizizz. It’s fast, it’s flexible, and it gets you about 80% of the way there. But if you don’t know a few key things, that other 20% can turn into a mess real quick.

Using ChatGPT to Make Quizzes (Without Losing Your Mind)

AI can be a real time saver when it comes to making quizzes. I’ve used ChatGPT plenty of times to build question banks I can plug right into Gimkit or Quizizz. It’s fast, it’s flexible, and it gets you about 80% of the way there. But if you…

10.10.2025 13:54 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The Week That Was In 103 (Unit Plan Edition) This unit started with a question that actually mattered:If you lived in England in the 1600s, would you have left and risked it all? That single question framed the entire unit. Every activity, reading, and discussion tied back to it. When students know the “why,” it changes how they engage, instead of memorizing colony facts, they were weighing survival, opportunity, and risk.

The Week That Was In 103 (Unit Plan Edition)

This unit started with a question that actually mattered:If you lived in England in the 1600s, would you have left and risked it all? That single question framed the entire unit. Every activity, reading, and discussion tied back to it. When students…

09.10.2025 22:21 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The Things We Think We’re Doing This has been on my mind lately. Teachers (myself included) often say we’re doing certain practices like retrieval, inquiry, student choice, feedback cycles, or collaboration. We believe we are. We even tell others we are. But when you really stop and look at the day-to-day flow of your classroom, sometimes the truth is we’re not. Not in the way we imagine.

The Things We Think We’re Doing

This has been on my mind lately. Teachers (myself included) often say we’re doing certain practices like retrieval, inquiry, student choice, feedback cycles, or collaboration. We believe we are. We even tell others we are. But when you really stop and look at the…

05.10.2025 01:40 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 1

The Week That Was In 103 I’m going to frame this week’s post around the beginning, middle, and end of the week. Once again, our rhythm was shaped by shortened schedules and shadow days, which meant adjusting plans and finding ways to keep learning moving forward. To work around the interruptions, I started the week with a take-home test, then rolled out a new unit built around a compelling question: …

The Week That Was In 103

I’m going to frame this week’s post around the beginning, middle, and end of the week. Once again, our rhythm was shaped by shortened schedules and shadow days, which meant adjusting plans and finding ways to keep learning moving forward. To work around the interruptions,…

03.10.2025 20:31 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The Week That Was In 103 I’m learning quickly that my school has a rhythm all its own—one filled with odd schedules, unexpected interruptions, and lots of moving parts. Some days it feels like just when I find my teaching groove, the bell schedule changes or half the class disappears for a shadow day. Other days, Mass, assemblies, or leadership experiences shift the tempo in ways that make planning a clean, flowing lesson nearly impossible.

The Week That Was In 103

I’m learning quickly that my school has a rhythm all its own—one filled with odd schedules, unexpected interruptions, and lots of moving parts. Some days it feels like just when I find my teaching groove, the bell schedule changes or half the class disappears for a shadow…

27.09.2025 00:25 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The Week That Was In 103 I feel like I am starting to hit a rhythm. There are still days when I wonder if I am just doing random things, trying to find consistency and purpose. But slowly, I can feel the stride taking shape. The protocols are giving me structure, and the students are responding with genuine engagement. This week showed how much can happen when we stack the right activities.

The Week That Was In 103

I feel like I am starting to hit a rhythm. There are still days when I wonder if I am just doing random things, trying to find consistency and purpose. But slowly, I can feel the stride taking shape. The protocols are giving me structure, and the students are responding…

19.09.2025 22:51 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Things That Shaped Me: Coaching Tennis Taught Me to Teach I’ve been coaching tennis for a long time, and I can still hear the echoes from courts all over: “Bend your knees.” “Finish your swing.” “Low to high.” Those lines are so common they almost fade into the background. But I never really bought into that approach. To me, coaching was never just about repeating mechanical reminders. What shaped me as a coach is the belief that tennis is a game of awareness.

Things That Shaped Me: Coaching Tennis Taught Me to Teach

I’ve been coaching tennis for a long time, and I can still hear the echoes from courts all over: “Bend your knees.” “Finish your swing.” “Low to high.” Those lines are so common they almost fade into the background. But I never really…

14.09.2025 02:31 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The Week That Was In 303 I’m discovering as the year moves along that life at the Villa comes with a steady stream of interruptions to the normal school rhythm. Practice high school placement tests, walk-a-thons, shadow visits, pep rallies, and more. Honestly, it feels like way more than I ever experienced in public schools. But here’s the thing, it’s all good. These moments create a climate and culture that is unlike any place I’ve been, and I’m learning to embrace them as part of what makes this community special.

The Week That Was In 303

I’m discovering as the year moves along that life at the Villa comes with a steady stream of interruptions to the normal school rhythm. Practice high school placement tests, walk-a-thons, shadow visits, pep rallies, and more. Honestly, it feels like way more than I ever…

13.09.2025 12:42 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The Week That Was in 103 Being at a new school means I’m living inside a learning curve. One is the learning curve of new procedures, figuring out how things run in a building that isn’t second nature to me yet. The other is learning about my students, how they learn, what they know, and what still feels brand new. Technology has been the most eye-opening part.

The Week That Was in 103

Being at a new school means I’m living inside a learning curve. One is the learning curve of new procedures, figuring out how things run in a building that isn’t second nature to me yet. The other is learning about my students, how they learn, what they know, and what…

06.09.2025 13:22 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Adam Moler

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