Teaching History With Humor

If you like to read, play board games, and have two dogs, you share a lot of interests with Civics and Government teacher Melody Morgan.

Morgan grew up in Charleston, West Virginia. She attended Elon College and the University of Charleston. “I majored in Elementary Education, PreK through 6th grade,” she said.

Currently, Morgan teaches eighth-grade Civics, as well as U.S. and Virginia Government. “This is my sixth year teaching in Fluvanna County,” she said. Before coming to the high school, Morgan taught at Fluvanna Middle School. When asked the difference between the two she said, “ I enjoy teaching at the high school level more because I feel that I can connect and interact with the students using humor more than I could with younger students. I also love my colleagues here at the high school.”

Morgan noted that before she came to Fluvanna she taught for 12-1/2 years in Orange County. “I loved learning and wanted to share that with students. I also wanted to help provide disadvantaged and struggling students with an educational opportunity that would enable them to improve their lives,” Morgan said.

She feels strongly that it is essential for students to know and understand American history and civics. “I think it is amazing what our Founding Fathers created when they began laying the foundations for our country. After hundreds of years, many people take for granted living in a democracy with their basic rights and freedoms protected, and forget that this was not the case for most of the world in the past,” she said. “It is important that all students graduate with the knowledge of how to be successful and contributing members of society,” she added.
Outside of school, Morgan said she likes “hanging out with my friends for game nights, boating when the weather is warm, and visiting museums. I also enjoy reading cozy historical mysteries.” Her favorite book is The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Morgan has two dogs, Daphne and Duke. “Daphne is 14-years-old and closest to my husband. Duke is five and closest to me. Daphne is a very strange dog; she will bark at friends if they leave the room and come back in (like she’s forgotten who they are in the last five minutes). She also tries to steal tissues and eat them,” she said. “Duke is still a little skittish and afraid of anything new (or just moving furniture around for a new layout),” she said.