Black History Month Content Ideas
February is the birth month of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass which played a large part in Carter G. Woodson’s creation of Black History Week and later Black History Month in 1926. Carter is called the “Father of Black History Month” and helped found the Association for the Study Of African American Life and History.
Black History Month is not only an American institution, it is also celebrated in Canada and the United Kingdom - though the UK celebrates in October.
Below you will find 28 ideas aligned to dates to help you and your students get a plan together for how to incorporate Black History Month into your program. I highly suggest that you bring in other people, programs, and community organizations to help your students tell these amazing stories.
February Content Ideas
February is the shortest month of the year and for most teachers it feels like the longest month of the school year. Other than President’s day, there seems to be no break in the month. The students have started to get comfortable with the class and their true selves - good or bad - are starting to show.
Use these ideas to help ease your workload - especially if you pair these with our Black History Month ideas, your content calendar should be full and you get to move from creating ideas to coaching your students.
5 Things You Should Stop in 2025
A new year is often seen as a time to start new things - diets, workout plans, etc. I think sometimes it’s just as important to stop doing things. Especially if they are negatively impacting you or your classroom. Here are the top 5 things I believe you should stop doing in 2025 to keep your sanity, engage more students, and grow your program.
5 Trends To Watch In 2025
In this portion of the conversation, we will take a look at trends in video production that will have a great impact on your classroom. From advanced production techniques that are simple enough to be done in K-12 to how the industry’s sales goals will trickle down to your classroom, let’s take a look at the 5 trends to watch in 2025.
January 2025 Story/Project ideas
January is often the hardest month of the year for those that are doing broadcasts. The expectation of good content was set in the fall and now the community expects you to hit the ground running. They don’t know that you have a new batch of students or that your students wrapped up their brain and gave it away during the holidays. Use the chart below to kickstart your storytellers. I’m going to give you a couple of weeks to get the students up to speed and give some production time…
Top 5 Technologies To Watch In 2025
As I look ahead professionally, there are things that I know will impact you in the classroom. This list isn’t all inclusive and truthfully, as I started to compile this I struggled to trim it. I think our world is about to change greatly when it comes to video production. There are things to be excited about and some things to be aware of but for the most part, I think your role as a pathfinder for your students is going to become more important each month of 2025 as technology continues to grow.
Is Your Program The REcipe For Great French Toast?
In April, I went to Mobile Alabama for the first time. It had never been a destination for me (not a fan of heat or humidity). Honestly, it still isn’t a destination for me with the exception of educational events and a little experiment that I set forth in April.
Feeling Comfortable in the Classroom
Comparison is the thief of joy. If you’re a new teacher, read that first sentence again. A friend said that over the summer while attending a professional development conference, and those words hit me like a ton of bricks. I’ve only ever heard since stepping into the classroom that it takes three years for a teacher to “get comfortable” and if they can hang in there for that long, they’ll stay and thrive. But it’s taken me five to start to feel comfortable and I’m beginning to learn a valuable lesson. Let me explain.
POV: First Time At SkillsUSA NSLC
Caleb Bailey from Long County High School in Georgia shares his thoughts on his first year at the SkillsUSA National Conference.
Rising tide rasies all ships: The Power of community within education
Last week I spent time with my AVTF (Audio, Video Technology and Film- it’s what Georgia has branded video production) family, at a pair of conferences. The conferences overlapped and honestly frustrated me because I couldn’t fully engage with either. I wanted to soak up the lessons shared from both. But… my heart was so full I teared up as I drove away from one of the conferences the last day.
5 things to consider This Summer
Tom shares 5 things you should do this summer to make your 2024-2025 school year the best ever. ONLY 1 is work. The rest are investing in yourself.
How To Stay Sharp In A Dull World
Tom shares his experiences and thoughts on how to stay up to date on industry trends, how to keep your creativity, and where to find sources of inspiration during the school year.
The Best Mistake In Live Sports Production
Tom shares how the most famous shot in golf was almost missed and a timely lesson on live production with a Masters focus
Doin’ It DifferentLy
Tom shares how comparing your program to others is dangerous but there are three ways that you can help get to where you want to be without driving yourself over the line.
Student Project: Short Vertical Film
Looking for a fun project to meet your students where they are? Consider running a vertical short film festival in your program. This article dives into that process.
Premiere Gal: Next-Gen Video Editing: Exploring AI's Role in Student Filmmaking
We are so excited to have Kelsey from Premiere Gal contribute this article to us. Check out this article on how AI can reshape your video editing landscape.
Nickelodeon’s Super Bowl Coverage Should Be A Goal For Your Classroom
Tom describes how you can leverage Nickelodeon’s Super Bowl broadcast for your classroom. Find out how to teach about target audience, branding, and more.
Is Industry in the dna of your program?
Tom discusses why you need an effective advisory council and how to build one.
Don’t Be That Teacher: Extra Credit Doesn’t Exist…
As the teacher that I hope you are, you have poured everything into trying to get everything right and tried to improve every day. You have worked through plans, created engaging assignments, and pushed yourself and your students to be the best possible. Only to be told that you didn’t do enough for that student to reach their goal, no matter if that goal is to pass or for an A. It’s all your fault because your 95% effort wasn’t enough to get them over the 45% effort.
Starting Over and Moving Forward
“If I had known then what I know now” those words from one of my favorite Pearl Jam songs have been echoing in my head for the last two months. The “then” in this case was late February 2010, when I started my first job in education. I was hired as a Program Assistant for a federal grant at a small school in South Georgia. I was 24 years old and I had no idea what I was doing.