Christian Eckert
Philosophy of Teaching History
Winston Churchill once said, "Those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it." While this quote is cliché and overused, it proves an important point: a knowledge of history makes for a better person. As a teacher of history, I believe that learning lessons, recurrences, and themes from the past are just as important (if not more important) than learning names, dates, and places. Teaching history requires that students learn not only what happened, but also why it happened. When a student can understand why something happened in the past, they can begin to understand why things happen today. In order to effectively teach history, I believe in using a tiered approach, that first emphasizes understanding (the “what” questions), then interpretation (the “why” questions), and finally analysis (the “what does it mean?” questions). Once students have a firm understanding of the content, I believe in making it relevant to their lives, and using it to help them grow as good citizens and human beings. As a Christian educator, I believe in teaching reconciliation, focusing on many of humanity’s great achievements (while fairly critiquing its wrongdoings), and embedding in my students the belief that “good wins.”
First, I must ensure that my students understand the content. No higher-level thinking can be done without a firm understanding of the events that happened. Two of the most crucial tools historians use are context and perspective. Context is the setting in which an event takes place, and perspective is the lens through which we view that event. Any secondary history teacher must focus on the importance of context early in the school year. In order to do this, I personally plan on doing a brief context and perspective lesson during the first week of the year, then using graphic organizers and brainstorming tools that encourage or require students to determine the context of an event. When students begin to understand how different contexts shape certain events, they can understand why things happen in the present. Perspective is important as well. Another cliché says that “history is told by the winners,” which is absolutely true. It is important that my students understand that the history they have grown up learning (from prior teachers, their parents, friends, media, etc) is just a few possible representations of how things have happened. A true historian looks at an event from an unbiased perspective, and ultimately decides what they believe based on the facts. I want my students to understand that they perspective from which they are learning history is that of a relatively well-off community that isn’t particularly diverse outside of Caucasians and Latinos. It can be hard for students in our districts to understand the feelings of certain people groups; in my experience in the field in Santa Barbara, students particularly struggle to understand the historical challenges faced by African Americans. Because of this limited lens, it is my job as a history teacher to broaden the perspectives through which these students make their decisions regarding historical events. In order to teach students about perspective, I plan on assigning them a brief study on the author(s) of our textbook. This simple activity will require students to determine where the author(s) is/are from, and what contextual circumstances might shape the way they write. For example, if the author attended UC Berkeley in the early 1960’s, they might have a biased perspective on the riots that occurred there and the politics of that particular era.
Second, I must teach my students how to interpret the events that we are learning about. Without interpretation, historical events are meaningless names, dates, and places, irrelevant, and oft forgotten by students that live busy lives full of other immediately important information. Interpretation is arguable the most difficult aspect of learning history; it requires a firm understanding of the event in addition to the ability to reason how said context might shape it. Interpretation is also frequently the level of understanding at which many high school history teachers stop: answering what happened and why it happened is all that the state standards technically require. In order to help my students learn how to interpret history, I will require them to utilize higher-level thinking tools. Asking students to compare and contrast requires them to identify the differences in context of two situations and how they change the outcomes of a scenario. I would also ask students to commit other academic actions: such as interpreting, summarizing, predicting, and more. To interpret generally requires students to read and write, so assignments (assessments) would often be written short-answer or long form essays.
Finally, students must be able to analyze history and determine what the meaning of its events have on us today. This tool can often be easier than interpretation simply because it is the most relevant, real, and tangible. Because of this, it can often be the most invigorating learning done for many students (connecting the past to the present was always my favorite part of school). It is my job to get my students talking. For them to make connections from past to present, they must first be involved in current events. I plan on asking my students parents to discuss current events with them, and as frequently as possible discuss major events with my class. One tool I’ve seen used in the field (particularly in government classes) is to have one or two students each week present on a current event. I plan to ask questions such as “Considering the events of the Israel-Palestine conflict, why might a certain political decision be made today?” Once students are able to make these connections, they can begin to change their perspective on their own decision making. The ability to relate past and present is one of the most important tools owned by historians. This is the most crucial aspect of the discipline of history, and a superpower of sorts: the power to predict the near future and infer what influence others (and our own) actions have on it. A true historian will make informed decisions, based on past experiences, that make the world a better place.
It is my firm belief, and a significant part of my philosophy of teaching history, that it is my job to expose my students to multiple perspectives and ways of thinking about things. For many students, high school teachers are their first significant adult role models outside of their parents (at least in an academic way). This means that some students may have never considered viewpoints that are different from what their parents taught them. While the lessons and morals learned from parents are invaluable, students will begin to form their own opinion of the world during their teenage years. I am a successful teacher if I can embed morals in these students that make them better people. Learning history teaches us (among many other things): good citizenship, friendship, and how to engage in thoughtful, constructive, dialogue. If every generation were to learn from the mistakes of its predecessor, the world would become a much better place. I wrote on my poster in class, “One who understands history can relate to and sympathize with others,” and I firmly believe that this is true. History is one of the few disciplines (in high school especially) that teaches us about human interaction (hence the name ‘social sciences’).
Much of this essay to this point has reflected my beliefs in the importance of teaching, how to do so, and the effects that it has on students. It is also important that I discuss my personal philosophy on how I plan to carry myself as a professional educator. Most important to me, first, are Westmont’s four dispositions for teachers. I must be a: lifelong learner, reflective practitioner, compassionate professional, and grateful servant. To teach history requires that we continue to learn. Much of this essay explains the emphasis the discipline of history places on learning from our decisions. There are many ways to model being a lifelong learner (attending conferences, leading panels, etc.), but the most important to me is learning from my students. Each student brings a unique perspective to class that I can’t have possibly fathomed without meeting them. Their thoughts, ideas, perspectives, and suggestions (not only on how I teach, but the content and lessons I teach) will continuously mold me as a teacher and learner. To be a reflective practitioner requires that I model and encourage a growth mindset. Positivity is contagious, and students are likelier to buy into a growth mindset if I display one myself. To have a growth mindset means that I believe that through hard work, dedication, and self-discipline, I can be successful. All teachers must also be compassionate professionals. A compassionate professional is patient, sympathetic, and understanding of the needs of others. As stated above, I believe that learning about history makes one more compassionate. Interestingly enough, the verse that Westmont pairs with the “compassionate professional” disposition comes from the same chapter as another relevant verse: Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Through my faith and hard work, I can become a compassionate professional that treats students with grace, even in hard times. The above verse also is true for a grateful servant. While I will professionally and humbly model my gratefulness for others (colleagues, administration, parents, and students), I will also continuously be grateful for Christ’s grace, which is what allows me to exist as a teacher today.
In addition to Westmont’s four dispositions, my professional outlook is influenced by my faith as a Christian. While I think most teachers are public servants that have great hearts for the world, there are certainly some that gain tenure and “ride out” their careers. This is not possible for a Christian teacher. Being a Christian teacher means that I go above and beyond; I must provide my students with everything a good teacher does (knowledge, compassion, life-lessons), and I also must demonstrate to them the impact that Christ’s saving grace can have on a life. While this may be harder in a public school, Christ’s grace can be demonstrated through actions; performing good deeds, showing grace and mercy, going above and beyond to make people feel comfortable and loved, and taking care of the disadvantaged and underprivileged.
My philosophy of teaching is centered on using history as a tool to help people become better citizens of the Earth. Through professionalism, living out a Christ-centered life, and helping students to relate history to their own lives and the world, I plan to use my platform as a teacher to inspire students become better people.
First, I must ensure that my students understand the content. No higher-level thinking can be done without a firm understanding of the events that happened. Two of the most crucial tools historians use are context and perspective. Context is the setting in which an event takes place, and perspective is the lens through which we view that event. Any secondary history teacher must focus on the importance of context early in the school year. In order to do this, I personally plan on doing a brief context and perspective lesson during the first week of the year, then using graphic organizers and brainstorming tools that encourage or require students to determine the context of an event. When students begin to understand how different contexts shape certain events, they can understand why things happen in the present. Perspective is important as well. Another cliché says that “history is told by the winners,” which is absolutely true. It is important that my students understand that the history they have grown up learning (from prior teachers, their parents, friends, media, etc) is just a few possible representations of how things have happened. A true historian looks at an event from an unbiased perspective, and ultimately decides what they believe based on the facts. I want my students to understand that they perspective from which they are learning history is that of a relatively well-off community that isn’t particularly diverse outside of Caucasians and Latinos. It can be hard for students in our districts to understand the feelings of certain people groups; in my experience in the field in Santa Barbara, students particularly struggle to understand the historical challenges faced by African Americans. Because of this limited lens, it is my job as a history teacher to broaden the perspectives through which these students make their decisions regarding historical events. In order to teach students about perspective, I plan on assigning them a brief study on the author(s) of our textbook. This simple activity will require students to determine where the author(s) is/are from, and what contextual circumstances might shape the way they write. For example, if the author attended UC Berkeley in the early 1960’s, they might have a biased perspective on the riots that occurred there and the politics of that particular era.
Second, I must teach my students how to interpret the events that we are learning about. Without interpretation, historical events are meaningless names, dates, and places, irrelevant, and oft forgotten by students that live busy lives full of other immediately important information. Interpretation is arguable the most difficult aspect of learning history; it requires a firm understanding of the event in addition to the ability to reason how said context might shape it. Interpretation is also frequently the level of understanding at which many high school history teachers stop: answering what happened and why it happened is all that the state standards technically require. In order to help my students learn how to interpret history, I will require them to utilize higher-level thinking tools. Asking students to compare and contrast requires them to identify the differences in context of two situations and how they change the outcomes of a scenario. I would also ask students to commit other academic actions: such as interpreting, summarizing, predicting, and more. To interpret generally requires students to read and write, so assignments (assessments) would often be written short-answer or long form essays.
Finally, students must be able to analyze history and determine what the meaning of its events have on us today. This tool can often be easier than interpretation simply because it is the most relevant, real, and tangible. Because of this, it can often be the most invigorating learning done for many students (connecting the past to the present was always my favorite part of school). It is my job to get my students talking. For them to make connections from past to present, they must first be involved in current events. I plan on asking my students parents to discuss current events with them, and as frequently as possible discuss major events with my class. One tool I’ve seen used in the field (particularly in government classes) is to have one or two students each week present on a current event. I plan to ask questions such as “Considering the events of the Israel-Palestine conflict, why might a certain political decision be made today?” Once students are able to make these connections, they can begin to change their perspective on their own decision making. The ability to relate past and present is one of the most important tools owned by historians. This is the most crucial aspect of the discipline of history, and a superpower of sorts: the power to predict the near future and infer what influence others (and our own) actions have on it. A true historian will make informed decisions, based on past experiences, that make the world a better place.
It is my firm belief, and a significant part of my philosophy of teaching history, that it is my job to expose my students to multiple perspectives and ways of thinking about things. For many students, high school teachers are their first significant adult role models outside of their parents (at least in an academic way). This means that some students may have never considered viewpoints that are different from what their parents taught them. While the lessons and morals learned from parents are invaluable, students will begin to form their own opinion of the world during their teenage years. I am a successful teacher if I can embed morals in these students that make them better people. Learning history teaches us (among many other things): good citizenship, friendship, and how to engage in thoughtful, constructive, dialogue. If every generation were to learn from the mistakes of its predecessor, the world would become a much better place. I wrote on my poster in class, “One who understands history can relate to and sympathize with others,” and I firmly believe that this is true. History is one of the few disciplines (in high school especially) that teaches us about human interaction (hence the name ‘social sciences’).
Much of this essay to this point has reflected my beliefs in the importance of teaching, how to do so, and the effects that it has on students. It is also important that I discuss my personal philosophy on how I plan to carry myself as a professional educator. Most important to me, first, are Westmont’s four dispositions for teachers. I must be a: lifelong learner, reflective practitioner, compassionate professional, and grateful servant. To teach history requires that we continue to learn. Much of this essay explains the emphasis the discipline of history places on learning from our decisions. There are many ways to model being a lifelong learner (attending conferences, leading panels, etc.), but the most important to me is learning from my students. Each student brings a unique perspective to class that I can’t have possibly fathomed without meeting them. Their thoughts, ideas, perspectives, and suggestions (not only on how I teach, but the content and lessons I teach) will continuously mold me as a teacher and learner. To be a reflective practitioner requires that I model and encourage a growth mindset. Positivity is contagious, and students are likelier to buy into a growth mindset if I display one myself. To have a growth mindset means that I believe that through hard work, dedication, and self-discipline, I can be successful. All teachers must also be compassionate professionals. A compassionate professional is patient, sympathetic, and understanding of the needs of others. As stated above, I believe that learning about history makes one more compassionate. Interestingly enough, the verse that Westmont pairs with the “compassionate professional” disposition comes from the same chapter as another relevant verse: Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Through my faith and hard work, I can become a compassionate professional that treats students with grace, even in hard times. The above verse also is true for a grateful servant. While I will professionally and humbly model my gratefulness for others (colleagues, administration, parents, and students), I will also continuously be grateful for Christ’s grace, which is what allows me to exist as a teacher today.
In addition to Westmont’s four dispositions, my professional outlook is influenced by my faith as a Christian. While I think most teachers are public servants that have great hearts for the world, there are certainly some that gain tenure and “ride out” their careers. This is not possible for a Christian teacher. Being a Christian teacher means that I go above and beyond; I must provide my students with everything a good teacher does (knowledge, compassion, life-lessons), and I also must demonstrate to them the impact that Christ’s saving grace can have on a life. While this may be harder in a public school, Christ’s grace can be demonstrated through actions; performing good deeds, showing grace and mercy, going above and beyond to make people feel comfortable and loved, and taking care of the disadvantaged and underprivileged.
My philosophy of teaching is centered on using history as a tool to help people become better citizens of the Earth. Through professionalism, living out a Christ-centered life, and helping students to relate history to their own lives and the world, I plan to use my platform as a teacher to inspire students become better people.
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