Why teach and study history

I chose to share this comic this week because it represents how I view the role of teaching history in school. It is beneficial to society if we are able to have a common understanding of our past. After all, it is our past that has shaped our present and will continue to influence our society in the future. At the same time, I realize that there is power located in the viewpoint that is represented in the telling of history. There is no doubt that people are able to spin the way the retell the events of the past to further their own interests. But if we can teach students to be able to do their own critical thought in a history class, then we prepare them to draw their own conclusions and not accept those of others.  That is the value that history class has. It is not about remembering names, facts, and dates. It is about crafting the ability to analyze information and discover what it means to society today.

Analytical skills have incredible value even outside of the classroom. As important events unfold in our world today, it is essential that people are able to think critically about what they are witnessing, or more often being told through media and government sources. That is why I felt this cartoon reflects my views on history. If we know about the past, and develop skills to study our society then we are working to create a more equitable world. 

I believe that studying history can help propel positive social change. Although history has been used to maintain power and the status-quo, it can also be used to change to world. As a history teacher, it is my job to find different versions of the past. As history geek, I am all for the teaching of the official story provided whom ever. There is value in learning about the most powerful people in society throughout history. We can’t ignore this part of history just as history used to ignore the voice of the minority. Rather than just provide the view of the dominant group, history class needs to also present students with the perspective of other groups in society. For me, I always found the perspective of ordinary folks to be the most interesting when studying history. When hearing stories of leaders and powerful people, I always wanted to know how the events affected the other members of society. I will try to create history lessons that provide this perspective.