Todd is a husband, father, life-long learner, educator, and runner. He has previously worked in business and nonprofit leadership, as well as in government bureaucracy, but his true home is in PK-12 education. As an educator, he has received honors such as the 2017 National Teacher Innovator by Next Gen Personal Finance, the 2018 Clara Luper Memorial Rising Star Award Recipient by the Oklahoma Council for the Social Studies. Additionally, he has sought to help advance Social Studies education through his involvement with numerous professional development opportunities across the country, both as a participant and a presenter, as well as serving on various boards and councils over the past several years. Todd’s mission in the classroom is to use historical content to develop and strengthen critical thinking skills while building relationships with today’s students to see them become tomorrow’s citizens marked by a passion for life-long learning. Regardless of any honors, awards, or areas of leadership, Todd will always count his interactions with his students as his greatest joy in being an educator.
Todd is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University and soon to be graduate of Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Todd is married to Stephanie (an Assistant Principal at Shawnee High School). Together they have 4 children (Bowman, Lorelai, Cohen, and Clara). In his free time, Todd loves spending time with his family and friends, reading, running, playing board games, strong coffee, good red wine, ice cold Pepsi, and watching his beloved Chicago Cubs.
cOURSES tAUGHT
- AP® United States History – A two-semester introductory college equivalent United States history course in which students investigate significant events, individuals, developments, and processes within United States history during nine separate historical periods from 1491CE to the present.
- AP® United States Government & Politics – A two-semester introductory college equivalent introductory Government or Political Science course in which students investigate significant events, individuals, developments, and processes within 5 broad units while developing and using the skills, practices, and methods employed by political scientists.
- AP® Macroeconomics – A two-semester introductory college equivalent macroeconomics course in which students investigate basic economic concepts, measurement of economic performance, national income and price determination, the financial sector, stabilization, economic growth and international trade.
- AP® World History – A two-semester introductory college equivalent world history course in which students investigate significant events, individuals, developments, and processes in six historical periods from approximately 8000 B.C.E. to the present.
- U.S History 1865-Present – A broad picture study of American Heritage following the Civil War to now. Taught to the Oklahoma Academic Standards.
- U.S. Government – A study of the foundation and function of the U.S. Constitution. Taught to the Oklahoma Academic Standards.
- World History – A broad picture study of the history of the world from Greco-Roman days until now. Taught to the Oklahoma Academic Standards.
- World Human Geography – A broad picture worldwide study of the geographical topics, including solving problems from a spatial perspective, population, culture, politics, economics, agriculture, and urban development. Taught to the Oklahoma Academic Standards.
- Oklahoma History – A broad picture study of the history of the area now compromising the State of Oklahoma. Taught to the Oklahoma Academic Standards.
- Personal Financial Literacy – A study of the financial concepts to help students make better money-related decisions through the scope of their life.
- Eastern Geography – A broad picture worldwide study of the geographical topics, including solving problems from a spatial perspective, population, culture, politics, economics, agriculture, and urban development. Taught to the Oklahoma Academic Standards.
- Western Geography – A broad picture study of the geographical topics, including solving problems from a spatial perspective, population, culture, politics, economics, agriculture, and urban development focused on the Western Hemisphere. Taught to the Oklahoma Academic Standards.
Educational Background, Honors, Awards, & Affiliations
Education
- BA – Interdisciplinary
- Oklahoma Baptist University
- Shawnee, OK
- December 2013
- M.Ed. – Educational Leadership
- Southeastern Oklahoma State University
- Durant, OK
- Graduation – December 2022
- Additional Course Work:
- Southern Baptist Theological Seminary – Louisville, KY
- University of San Diego – San Diego, CA
Affiliations
- Member & Former Board Member – Oklahoma Council for Social Studies
- Member – Oklahoma Council for History Education
- Member – National Council for the Social Studies
- Member – Oklahoma Social Studies Supervisors Association
- Member – National Social Studies Supervisors Association
- Member – House of Delegates Resolutions Committee for NCSS
- Member – iCivics Educator Network
- Former Member – Economic Education Advisory Council – Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank; Oklahoma City Branch
- Member – OKSDE – Economics/Personal Financial Literacy Standard Revision Writing Team – 2018-2019
Presentations
- Presenter – Through Their Eyes: Using Soldier’s Perspectives to Teach the World Wars – Oklahoma Council on History Education Annual Conference – October 2022
- Presenter – Teach Broadly, Engage Locally; Using Project-Based Pedagogy to Encourage Civic Involvement – CivicsCon – June 2022
- Presenter – The Historical Inquiry Method Poster Presentation – NCSS Annual Conference – November 2021
- Presenter – Washington’s Legacy of Leadership – Oklahoma Council on History Education Annual Conference – October 2021
- Keynote Speaker – The State of Financial Literacy in Oklahoma – Financial Literacy in Oklahoma Conference – November 2019
- Presenter – Oklahoma Digital Resource Library – Oklahoma Summer Social Studies Conference – July 2019
- Presenter – Teaching Financial Literacy in Social Studies – July 2019
- Presenter – The Historical Inquiry Method – Oklahoma Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference – November 2018
- Co-Presenter – Crucial Conversations in the Classroom – Summer Social Studies Conference – July 2018
- Presenter – Primary & Secondary Sourcing in the Digital Age Oklahoma Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference – October 2017
- Presenter – Oklahoma Jump$tart Coalition – December 2016
Conferences
- Oklahoma History – OU Summer Institute – June 2022
- George Washington Leadership & Legacy – George Washington Teacher Institute – June 2021
- Lincoln Speaks: Words That Transformed a Nation – Gilder Lehrman Seminar – June 2019
- Presidents and the Constitution: Abraham Lincoln – Liberty Fund Weekend – October 2018
- AP Summer Institute – U.S. History – July 2018
- Teaching American History Seminar – Roosevelt, Wilson, and Progressive Reform – March 2018
- EdCampOKC – March 2018
- Arab-Israeli Conflict Workshop – February 2018
- Ditch That Textbook Digital Summit – December 2017
- Jump$tart National Educator Conference – November 2017
- Summer Scholar – NEH Institute – Rethinking GAPE – University of Illinois Chicago – June-July 2017
- Jump$tart National Educator Conference – November 2016
- AP Summer Institute – U.S. History – July 2016
- OCEE Train The Writers Conference – June 2016
Awards
- Clara Luper Memorial Rising Star Award – Oklahoma Council for the Social Studies – 2018
- Scholarship Recipient – National History Day – Legacies of World War I Graduate Course – 2018
- Professional Development Champion – Midwest City High School – 2017-2018
- Oklahoma Alternate – James Madison Scholarship – 2018
- National Teacher Innovator Award – May 2017 – Presented by Next Gen Personal Finance
Mr. Gragg 