History is a broad subject of which students in high school will jump from many different times and places.
I am trying to decide, being a future history educator besides the core curriculum what else I should focus on. '
What are some of the things you most remember and value from your history class so that I may make my class as enjoyable for my students as possible?
What are some of the things you most remember and value from your history class so that I may make my class as enjoyable for my students as possible?
When I was in high school, I had a wonderful history teacher who always made a point to tell us why something was or is important. At the time, it was just plain irritating to hear why it was important but as the school year went on, I realized how great it was to know WHY something was important to learn.
ReplyDeleteIn high school I had a teacher who would give us some of the most random facts about what was going on in the time period that we were studying. To this day I remember most of the stuff and so do my friends who took the same teacher with me.
ReplyDeleteI think it is very important as you brought up Kelsey to show why is history important. The very first thing I would like to discuss with my students the very first day of class is them answering the question Why is history necessary to learn? Just so I can get a feel of what my students are thinking. B hayaski, you make a great point about the random facts. I am a huge random facts kind of person I love the show Jeopardy, and I hope to include some random fact fun games into my classroom I am so happy you brought that up because sometimes the random things are the things you remember.
ReplyDeleteI definitely remember the incorporation of speakers, specifically Tuskegee airmen from WWII. That's the wonderful thing about history, we can have real interactions with the past! This process included personal stories, allowing students to listen and ask questions that go further than what a textbook can offer. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite history teachers always found ways to tie in points about popular culture of the time period we were studying. If he was teaching about the 1920s and the Harlem Renaissance and Jazz Age he'd read parts of black literature or lyrics from black music, if he was teaching about the the 1950s-60s and the Civil Rights Movement he would play Curtis Mayfield and Bob Dylan songs to show how both white and black artists were addressing the issues of the day, and so on. For me, it just always brought the issues of the time more to life - made them more relatable.
ReplyDeleteHistory was one of my favorite subjects in high school. The idea of learning, for instance, how we came to create an alphabet to communicate, how different people from different parts of the world had amazing and brave ideas to discover something new has always amazed me. Studying ancient Rome and Greece, the philosophers, how humanity started and how ii developed. That a lot of what we do today goes back to that point in History. Tying the nots of old and new, how the two walk together can be fascinating!
ReplyDeleteMost of the things that come to mind when remembering my fun experiences in history classes had to do with the art of the time period we were studying. For example, one teacher had us make huge murals of the Greek time. I remember thinking because I'm not artisically inclined how hard it was but it came out really good and I had alot of fun doing it. One of my favorite teachers who taught government had a pink floyd poster up in his classroom that said, "Mother should I trust the government", and I thought it was the coolest thing that he posed that question to us in our conservative setting. He gave lots of room in his class for his students to speak their opinions about government laws and procedures.
ReplyDeleteM.Lowell's history teacher sounds awesome! I didn't have the opportunity to experience such ingenuity. I didn't like history class that much but would have loved the incorporation of relevant material infused into the lessons! I am going to have to piggy back on Mr. Lowell's views.
ReplyDeleteWhen thinking back on what I learned about history in high school I can't remember a thing. I can remember the teacher, but not what he taught. We sat and listened and he talked, there was no interaction. Getting the students mentally involved has got to be the answer. Get them to imagine themselves living at a certain time period. I know when I do a lesson on how to draw castles I discuss what it was like to work in the kings army, how and why flags got started, who got to learn how to read and write etc. I get a lot of pink princess castles and army guys fighting, but they do show me through their drawings what they already know and what they have learned.
ReplyDeleteI really have taken so much from what all of you have posted. I really think from reading your posts, it seems to me that bring history to life is the key. I want my history classes to be a huge interaction between me and my students. I want them to feel the lesson as best they can. I know history if you just say the names and dates can be very tedious and pointless. However, if I take many of your ideas such as playing music if we talk about a certain musician or showing pictures of the battles. Then maybe, my students will have the best opportunity to understand get a firm and fun grasp on the material that I want them to know.
ReplyDeleteLooking back on my history classes, I can say that I may not have had a great experience with learning the information. I feel like a lot of times history with considered a "textbook" class. I can remember reading the chapter, defining the vocabulary, completing the section reviews, and then taking the chapter test. I think that i would have gained more knowledge if I would have had the chance to "expereince" the history. I think that it would help to do in class role plays of the history or video that brought us back in time.
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