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Jacalyn A. Roche - Short EssaysI am the right person to be teaching US history because I love the subject matter; enjoy learning about it; and really love to share ideas about it with others. To teach well, a teacher must be more than knowledgeable. A teacher himself/herself must be excited about and passionate about the material he teaches. A teacher must be a constant learner, must perpetually refresh him/herself and must enjoy that pursuit because staying refreshed requires a great deal of time and effort outside of the so-called workday. Teaching is a lifestyle; teaching history forces a teacher to view everything that goes on in life with a deeper viewpoint than might a member of a different occupation. I know history. I know US history. I love history; I love US history; I love sharing that passion with others; and I REALLY love the time spent with students who are able to pick up on that passion and take a piece of it with them, making that piece their own and using it as a building block for further ideas and for constructing knowledge of their own , is what makes my days worthwhile. Getting students to construct knowledge is always challenging, but in Waukegan it can be especially challenging due to the demographics and attendance patterns. The most successful learning situations are those in which students can be totally and actively involved. I have had the blessing of two such instances in the last two years. In 2001, three classes of "returning" students, studying non-western cultures, worked together to produce a published work on the history of Japan. The process involved each and every student at all phases of research, writing, editing, layout, design, fact-checking and distribution. Because no one could let anyone else down, and because the process was active, the students were motivated, engaged and productive. They were rewarded with a published book, and recognition by the school faculty, the school board and the Chicago Tribune as well. The most important rewards came in the growth of their self-esteem as well as in their understanding of history. They were able to think historically and construct knowledge of trends and then apply this knowledge to other cultures. In 2002, three classes of students studying western civilization worked together to research, write and dramatize the trial of Socrates. Students wrote their own dialogue and constructed the sets and costumes. We took an in-school field trip and used the small auditorium for the production. In addition, they provided their own media coverage, adding a 21st century twist to the proceedings. After the trial and the verdict (they let him off!) students analyzed the issues of free speech, what it means, whether it has limits and if so what those might be. They compared Greek democracy to US democracy and found historical pathways and connections. They allowed their discussion to run to the present day and issues of freedom that relate to terrorism. Every student had a part in the production and was eager to participate in the "debriefing" (discussion). I sat back and watched 120 students argue with passion, using evidence to support their viewpoints. I heard them construct knowledge over a period of about 3 hours. I can now die happy! With the help of McRAH, I now feel prepared to address the following challenge in my teaching. My assignment this year will involve teaching freshmen in the College Studies Program. The challenge will be to engage these less mature students and tap into their abilities to analyze and synthesize so that they will think historically, and not be bored stiff doing so. Thanks to McRAH and the Chicago Historical Society, I have some interesting, creative and downright fun tools with which to peak the interest of these students. I am referring to such notions as the "historical head" and the cold turkey analysis of artifacts. Students love to touch, feel, doodle and these techniques encompass that tactile ability. Web Quests will be useful also, of course. All of these allow students to "do" history and not just have facts, events and opinions force fed to them for future regurgitation. When students "do" they are more engaged and have more fun and they remember. Hence they are more successful and want to "do" more and the cycle repeats and may transfer to other areas besides history. "Historical memory is the key to self-identity...to one's connectedness with all humankind; and all American students must have equal access to well-prepared history teachers and to engaging, balanced, accurate, and challenging curricular materials." (NCHS, 1996 42;56) The last half of this quote should be the mantra for all disciplines, not only for US history. Culture is the stuff of which each individual is made. Understanding one's own culture, when, where, how and why it came about tells each of us why we are where we are and who we are. It is how we establish our individual place in the universe. Students, especially today, need to know about their foundation as Americans so that they can decide who they want to become and where they want to go in life. Teachers, particularly history teachers, cannot deliver a set of key persons, places, dates and events and expect that students will find any value in memorizing and regurgitation factoids. Teachers must develop student interest and to do that they must convince students that the material is relevant to them, on a personal level. Students have to find a value in what they do and in what they learn. Thus, history teachers must come prepared with a deep well of content knowledge and a portfolio of creative techniques that will stimulate the students to think, analyze and construct the knowledge of the past and then relate it to their understanding of the present and their predictions for the future. This will make history relevant and meaningful; engaging and useful. It will produce analysis, synthesis and "historical thinking." If US culture is to continue to exist, never mind flourish, we cannot afford to let any student in this nation be without access to such teachers and such teaching strategies. Every person, thus, every student, must be able to think critically, to analyze and to understand his/her place in the culture; and be able to use that knowledge for him/herself and then be able to pass that knowledge down to his/her descendants. A culture dies out if its inheritance dies out. When a society/culture forgets the past and focuses entirely on the present; when that society fails to educate any segment of its population regarding the heritage of the culture and the importance of that heritage, that segment loses its connection with the culture. If that segment becomes large enough, the entire culture becomes similarly infected and the culture will no longer be viable. In order to prevent this or perhaps arrest this trend in the United States, " all American students must have equal access to well-prepared history teachers and to engaging, balanced, accurate, and challenging curricular materials." This means we must continue to educate and re-educate our history teachers. We must value them as much as we value CEO's. Opportunities for collaboration and brainstorming; for exchange of successful teaching strategies must be provided for teachers on a wide and continuing basis. We must provide economically and sociologically depressed areas with the cream of the crop of teachers and make it worth their while to teach in these areas in order to equalize the opportunities for disadvantaged students. Education, particularly history education, teaches much more than just information. If we fail to provide the opportunity for all students to learn these lessons, we will reap the results of such lack of interest. We are already doing so in the rural south and in inner cities.
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