confessions of a first year history teacher

well, where to start?

ummm...I don't know everything

and sometimes, this year, I feel like I don't know anything

at least when it comes to the nitty gritty specifics of the history that I am teaching

I've learned how much I didn't learn in the past

and I must say that it scares me from time to time

today as I was "learning" so much while planning

I started thinking that maybe having a history supplement

(which I was qualified for because of my history concentration in college)

 should not really qualify you for teaching middle school history

but I'm thankful that it did, because it pretty much saved my job

and thankfully I've gotten teaching logistics under control before starting this

so now, it is just learning for me

examples of my new found - should have already known facts:

#1 the Star Spangled Banner was originally written as a poem

during the War of 1812

#2 and while we're on that topic - I learned what the War of 1812 was all about

#3 and finally, you know when you've heard something, but have no idea what it means, well, that was me with the Monroe Doctrine, until this afternoon

whew, I feel better now that I've gotten that off my shoulders
and I am really grateful for the opportunity to get a whole year to really learn more history
something I really do enjoy - but come on - there is SO much of it to know

and, putting history aside

I've also learned that this is what happens when you give a teenager a stapel gun