History Student to History Teacher

(Me with U.S. Senator from Indiana Dick Lugar.  I was walking through the mall with my mom and I passed by him.  I followed him to the book store where he was signing his new book "Letters to the Next President" to help with foreign affairs.  I was actually bold enough to tell him that some day I wanted to take his job.  I decided to teach history instead of make history.)

I can remember in the 4th grade when I decided that I had a knack for remembering history and it helped me lean towards liking it.  We had Indiana history that year and I could read or listen to what my teacher said and remember it.  I also could start talking about an issue, knowing little about it, and talk my way to into a coherent answer.

It was in junior high U.S. history when I learned that I could just listen to my teacher talk about history and I could remember the info for the test.  Better yet, it was like I could take pictures with my mind of the notes and during the test, I could go to that part of the notes and remember it.  It was almost like cheating.

In 1976, when I was in kindergarten, we had a mock election for President.  Ford vs. Carter.  Then in 1980 I started watching the political conventions and have been interested in current events as well as history. 

In high school, I had a teacher or two that helped draw out my interest in history and government.  I was able to ask questions and get discussions going on history and current events.  It was a competition sometimes to see if I could get the teacher to talk the whole 50 minute period instead of doing what was planned.  The thing was though I was getting the teacher off subject, I was still learning.  I have tried to carry that style of learning into my style as a teacher.

In college, it was even easier to listen to my history professors, at least certain ones.  They could talk about history and I would just listen, never reading anything, and then make A's on the exams.  It was then I realized that if I was going to be a teacher that I should teach something that I liked and was natural to me.

As a teacher, I have tried to make history (which is always ranked as the most disliked subject by students in the U.S.) more interesting.  I have tried to make it into a story that flows, but also connecting history from long ago to something that is relevant to students' lives today.  It makes my career more interesting for me and makes the work day easier to deal with being a coach and teacher.

(Me teaching U.S. history at Henryville H.S.)