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My name is Joe Jackson. Welcome to my teaching portfolio.I'm a secondary educator, writer, artist, and fisherman.
Feel free to peruse my portfolio below. It includes a sample lesson plan (complete with standards, objectives, student-facing instructions and rubrics, and a project example) as well as self-produced educational media. |
My Teaching Philosophy
“Indirection, I think, is the path of all intimate knowing.”
— Ted Leeson, The Habit of Rivers
— Ted Leeson, The Habit of Rivers
I believe that everyone is curious about something.. My role as an educator is not simply to transmit information, but to design experiences that awaken this curiosity and invite my students into meaningful engagement with history, writing, and science. When students encounter content indirectly—through creative projects, inquiry, storytelling, and media—they are more likely to internalize not just what they are learning, but why it matters.
I strive to build learning environments that value passion over strict compliance. Students learn best when they feel that their questions and interpretations are welcomed. This means holding high expectations while also providing the scaffolding, actionable feedback, and encouragement students need in order to meet them.
My instructional design emphasizes research, historical thinking, and communication through varied media. I believe that students deepen their understanding when they are asked to translate complex ideas into new forms—whether through writing, visual design, or digital storytelling. All of these are ways for students to practice synthesis, interpretation, and perspective-taking in authentic ways.
I want students to leave my classroom with more than content knowledge. I want them to leave with a sense that learning is not confined to a unit, a course, or a school year—that curiosity is a habit of mind they can carry with them. If students walk away seeing themselves as thinkers, questioners, and creators, then the work we have done together has meaning well beyond the classroom.
I strive to build learning environments that value passion over strict compliance. Students learn best when they feel that their questions and interpretations are welcomed. This means holding high expectations while also providing the scaffolding, actionable feedback, and encouragement students need in order to meet them.
My instructional design emphasizes research, historical thinking, and communication through varied media. I believe that students deepen their understanding when they are asked to translate complex ideas into new forms—whether through writing, visual design, or digital storytelling. All of these are ways for students to practice synthesis, interpretation, and perspective-taking in authentic ways.
I want students to leave my classroom with more than content knowledge. I want them to leave with a sense that learning is not confined to a unit, a course, or a school year—that curiosity is a habit of mind they can carry with them. If students walk away seeing themselves as thinkers, questioners, and creators, then the work we have done together has meaning well beyond the classroom.
Lesson: The Scientific Revolution!
This lesson/project plan comes from my high school World History class. It's one of my favorites. You'll find a complete plan with student-facing instructions, standards, objectives, a rubric, and some teacher rationale in the document to the right.
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View a student-created example here!
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Educational Media
As a former media professional in higher education, I have a set of advanced video production skills that come in very handy in the secondary classroom (both face-to-face and online). I am proficient in the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, including Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition, Photoshop, and InDesign.
Five Things to Know About Alexander the GreatSummary videos are great for students. This project helps introduce one of my favorite historical topics, Alexander the Great. It's nice and short, and features an advanced piece of educational media equipment called the Learning Glass.
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The Spanish/Aztec ConflictJust because it's a video doesn't mean it can't include some hardcore historical research. This longer-form video showcases how to dive into academic resources (both primary and secondary) and present them in a compelling video format. It covers issues of historical lenses, perspectives, and bias.
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Coal Dragline AnimationOriginally produced for the University of Alaska Fairbanks, this video showcases how I can use animation to demonstrate concepts to students. It works particularly well in an online/hybrid model, but can be adapted to the classroom. These skills can even be passed on to students.
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"Welcome to Class!" VideosI produce a new one of these every year for my classes. The point is to introduce myself, the course, and give students a sense of the experience ahead of them. Some feature higher production values than others, but the point is that they exist and give students a glimpse into who I am.
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