@KaelynBullock

As a high school student I hated history. From what I remember, I took notes all the time. Then I would memorize a list of terms for a test, spit it back out, and forget it. It was not until I was forced to take a history class in college that I experienced primary sources that conflicted and I had to form an argument. This allowed me to fall in love with history and helped me identify a subject I wanted to teach.

Entering my teaching career, I did my best to make history class a fun experience. I had some good activities that kept us out of the textbook, but at the end of chapter students were still doing a lot of reading the textbook and memorizing. My curriculum was too content heavy and did not incorporate the skills of historians very well.

I have made a conscious effort to move away from so much history content. Over the years, I added more primary sources to my repertoire. I still struggled to find time to incorporate them regularly. Flipping my history classroom helped to solve that problem. By moving lectures outside of the classroom space, my students and I could use class time to investigate documents. I do owe a lot to the Stanford History Education Group for putting together some great, ready-to-use investigations.

Ideally, I will keep moving toward inquiry-based units. I want to start with an inquiry question and have students gather background information, while I introduce primary sources to challenge and deepen their knowledge. I also think there is much potential in the C4 Framework: Collect, Collaborate, Create, Communicate. These steps have been a natural framework for my classroom as I let students explore various topics, without needing them to be glued to the textbook.

This year, I have truly tested how well I am preparing students to do the work of historians, we are completing National History Day projects. Students have selected topics, done extensive research with primary and secondary sources, developed a thesis, and they are currently forming their arguments. This has been challenging for students and for myself. In class we regularly look at primary sources, but we usually work in small groups or as a whole class. This has challenged students to be accountable as individuals. I am eager to see their final products. When I first heard about this program, I thought to myself that these are the things I want my students to be able to do, and if they aren’t able, I wanted to teach them those skills. I believe students have learned a great deal, historical content and skills.

I will continue to refine my teaching to help students articulate the big ideas of history (not just memorize the little details). I still try to incorporate fun experiences. I also believe, that students can have fun engaging work of historians, being challenged to think critically. I’m encouraged so many Social Studies teachers are striving to do the same.

http://kfbullockteach.blogspot.com/