STORIES & IDEAS
Classroom-tested ideas on history, writing, student journalism, and helping young people think for themselves.
A PLACE TO BEGIN
History & CivicsEdutopia
My Jewish grandmother was still young in body and spirit when I was born. She hated being called “grandmother,” but she often warned me about using the word hate. “That’s one of the strongest words in the English language, and you should use it only if yo
Read the storyEdutopia 02
Now that it’s March, I’m going back and forth about what to cover in my American history class for the remainder of the year. Should I prioritize skills or content? Are the two mutually exclusive? Years from now, what do I really want students to still remember and find useful? Even after a decade in the classroom, I struggle mightily with deciding what to cover and in how much depth.
KQED’s 2017 reading picks
Edutopia 03
During my 20 years in the high school classroom, I’ve found that while educational technology can enhance access to learning, it consistently falls short of the sweeping gains it promises—and I remain unconvinced that its potential benefits outweigh the d
Discussed by educators on LinkedIn
THE COLLECTION
PBS NewsHour
I’ve never been anti-technology. I’ve even written about ways AI can help students when it’s used with care. But my first real encounter with ChatGPT-5 stopped me cold. This is different. This is dangerous. And I’m finally sounding the alarm. Since ChatGP
Independent School / NAIS
History and Journalism Teacher Brimmer and May School Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts In the 2002 Brimmer and May yearbook, my fellow seniors designated me as the “most likely to return to my alma mater as a history teacher.” And they were right. My classroo
Edutopia
During the height of the pandemic, like countless other high school history teachers, I struggled to keep my students focused on their learning. When the world is in the grip of a once-in-a-century health crisis, it’s understandable that minds will wander
Medium
“I see a direct connection between what I learned in journalism and what I’m doing now,” says Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham. However much I struggled, only when I found my passion for news reporting did my success in the humanities begin to soar — so much so, in fact, that I now teach journalism to my own history students, hopeful that they too will benefit from the combination.
Edutopia
When I encounter academic dishonesty in my classroom, I experience a complex blend of emotions: disappointment, sadness, and a profound sense of collective responsibility. These situations prompt introspection, compelling me to question my effectiveness a
Edutopia
Even after eight years of teaching history, I struggle with helping my students retain and make effective use of their learning. Several years ago, a returning senior asked if she could retake the final exam in my United States history course in September. She had earned a solid "A" just three months earlier, but after a long and eventful summer, she wanted to know how much she remembered.
Edutopia
“You may think you are prepared for a post-truth world, in which political appeals to emotion count for more than statements of verifiable fact,” writes Margaret Sullivan, media columnist for The Washington Post. “But now it’s time to cross another bridge—into a world without facts. Or, more precisely, where facts do not matter a whit.”.
Edutopia
the first rough draft of history—reinforces information gathering, effective writing skills, and audience engagement. In high school, I struggled to write clear, concise prose. My command of structure was minimal, and I didn’t make effective use of sources to inform my analysis. I also had difficulty differentiating between summary and analysis, much to the chagrin of my teachers, who worked diligently to help me hone my writing.
The Atlantic
As a journalism and history teacher at an independent school near Boston, I’m not too proud to admit that I use comic books in my classroom. When we cover World War II, my students analyze the inaugural March 1941 cover of Captain America by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, which shows super-soldier Steve Rogers deflecting an attack while knocking out Adolf Hitler.
Medium
Astra will prop up their unformed minds and do the heavy lifting for them at astounding speeds, much like WALL-E’s hoverchair-bound passengers — only for them to crash and burn the moment it’s unplugged, or the moment they’re asked to think for themselves.
The Atlantic
It’s not news that for over 100 years, history has been taught as little more than a callous exercise in regurgitation and rote memorization, with teachers rewarding how much information students can cram into their already stuffed heads. But as we go farther into the 21st century, with changes almost too numerous to fathom, I find it mindboggling that any teacher would still treat history class as boring preparation for a quiz show.
The Atlantic
When it comes to teaching history, nothing destroys student interest faster and more completely than a heavy reliance on textbooks. During my first three years of teaching high-school history I would see students’ eyes glaze over as we reviewed from a 1,0
THE CLASSROOM IS WHERE IT STARTS.ABOUT DAVID
David Cutler teaches American History, Latin American History, Journalism, and AP United States Government and Politics at Brimmer and May School in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. He also serves as Assistant Cross Country Coach.
He advises The Gator, the school’s award-winning student news site, and serves as founder and executive director of the Private School Journalism Association. He is also a board member of the New England Scholastic Press Association.
His writing explores education, history, and the work of helping young people think for themselves. His perspective is rooted in the daily experiences of an active classroom teacher and in the voices of the students he teaches.
Brimmer and May SchoolRECOGNITION
Columbia Scholastic Press Association
National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year Program · CSPA
Brimmer and May School
National Association of Independent Schools
Visit the award-winning student publication I advise, where young reporters cover their community and develop their voices.
LET’S CONNECT
Have a question, a classroom challenge, or an invitation to speak or present? David welcomes the conversation. He believes schools too often look to outside “experts” for guidance on pedagogy and best practices while overlooking the experts already in the building: active classroom teachers.
Presentations, materials, and advice are always free. David believes sharing best practices should benefit students and teachers without putting a price on that exchange.
His ideas come from the daily work of an active classroom teacher: the lessons he teaches, the students he works with, and the challenges they work through together.
“Everyone deserves a seat at the table, but active classroom teachers’ voices should carry the greatest weight in decisions about teaching and learning.”
