I distinctly remember the moment in my American History class in my sophomore year of college when I realized that everything I’d learned up until that point had been a carefully selected, sanitized, politically motivated presentation of history. It was a revelation.

I distinctly remember the moment in my American History class in my sophomore year of college when I realized that everything I’d learned up until that point had been a carefully selected, sanitized, politically motivated presentation of history. It was a revelation. I learned some new facts, sure, but what I really…

I got that in my AP history classes in high school, in part because the AP test relies heavily on analysis of primary sources. But regardless of why we used them, it was super helpful. Using primary sources to complement a textbook really is a better way to learn and helps make the events seem real and immediate.

That’s a good and brutal point about right vs. correct. Standardized tests mean you’re only supposed to give a specific answer. Aren’t most multiple choice these days?

Yes, to the critical thinking. A big part of our history classes in Germany was always historical source analysis, like writings from a monk, a speech by Robespiere, the newspaper Cartoon “dropping the pilot” and so on. I hated doing it, but in hindsight it’s obviously very useful to ask the question what was the…

I would absolutely LOVE to have the members of the Texas Board of Education take the introductory American History course I took in my CANADIAN college. Then, after we buried the bodies left from the resulting heart attacks and apoplexies, you could all start again with rational, intelligent, educated people.

This is my first year teaching college freshmen literature and I was shocked at how little history many of them came in with.  It’s totally not their fault and I teach Russian lit, so obviously that’s not going to be the priority history in American schools, but I remember at least learning about the Russian…

More than that! Several others dressed up as “Mexicans”!

I saw this before and I still just cannot understand 6 TEACHERS getting together and thinking this is okay. There should have been so many alarms and red flags going off in at least one of their brains that this never should have happened. These people should straight up not be teachers. 

I despise hustle, I think it’s gross. But, after I managed to wheedle all of the samples out of the vendors for my favorite non-profits, she will likely try to avoid inviting me to things (and fail, her mom likes to ride my mom's social coattails). Heh.

My Mom wants to throw me a baby shower and I’m pretty laid back and easygoing, but I will NEVER allow that awful poop game at the party.

One thing I miss about my old team at work, was several people had babies in the few year we were all together. My straight, married, make boss threw the BEST work babyshowers ever! AND he made the most intricate, elaborate diaper cakes on the planet. One year we were doing a double shower for him and a female…

That sounds awful. So tacky!

Literally the only one I have ever been to was for my (about a decade older) cousin, and I honestly didn’t even know it was “a thing” anymore, as that one definitely left me with the feeling that it was a tradition on the way out. It was put on by my bougie aunt (and I believe it was the last major family event she…

I had a family bridal shower thrown for me by my MIL.

So, my mother’s sorority roommate’s daughter got married this past summer in the ritziest and most canned sequence of events I’ve ever attended. The bride is in her late 30s and wanted A Wedding (tm). Her parents are divorced and her mother spends every penny of her alimony trying to keep up with her former lifestyle-…

A friend of mine from a deeply religious family got married as soon as she got out of HS at age 18 (!!!) and little baby me (age 17) helped throw the bridal shower and bachelorette party. The entire wedding party of 4 teenagers had a budget of maaaaaaybe $200 and absolutely no clue what was expected of us. Our…

My own unasked-for bridal shower was so awkward (and also maybe the only one I’ve ever been to?) It was thrown by my work friends, who were acquaintances by my standards, but this was in Texas y’all and they were trying to be kind to this newly-engaged Yankee. It was dubbed a ‘lingerie shower’, which to this day is…

All of them. Because who has a bridal shower? The very concept of bridal showers is awful and I’ve never been to one that wasn’t a gaggle of basic-ness and because no one who is my close friend or a woman I identify with has ever thrown one, so the only ones I’ve been invited to have been friends I’m not that close…

My sister’s best friend had gotten engaged. Not a good idea. All they did was fight. Well two weeks before the shower the couple had a huge, very ugly fight that pretty much ended things. Except not officially I guess.