James Duprie teaches 8th grade U.S. History and 6th grade World Cultures, where he focuses on helping students connect historical content to their own identity and heritage as citizens of the United States. Through the use of Exploros, James creates structured, engaging lessons that support diverse learning styles and keep students learning together.

In this Educator Spotlight, we chat with James about what he enjoys most about teaching history, how Exploros supports student engagement and success, and a practical classroom strategy he uses to keep students focused and on pace.

👋 Introduce yourself, including your name, subject, and grade level.

My name is James Duprie, 8th US History & 6th World Cultures.

📚 What aspect of Social Studies do you find most fascinating and enjoy teaching the most, and why?

I enjoy teaching the first half of U.S. History, and helping students connect to their identity & heritage as citizens of the U.S.

🎉 Share a success story or memorable moment made possible by Exploros.

I feel that using Exploros has allowed more students to become engaged in the content as well as experience more success. I think that is a direct result of the format that Exploros uses to cover information.

💻 How has technology, particularly Exploros, empowered you as a teacher, helping you achieve your goals and enhance student outcomes?

The use of Exploros and its content along with how it integrates the use of outside sources as well as how it includes video excerpts allows me to hit different learning types as well as prepares students with opportunities to do data digs in primary and secondary sources that would take me years to compile on my own.

🚀 What's one effective teaching strategy or tip for boosting confidence and student engagement in Social Studies?

My teaching tips is that I like keeping the individual screens locked. This allows me to keep everyone on pace and check for understanding as the lesson moves forward, and it keeps kids from rushing through the lesson and becoming distractions.