Connecting college students with the study of history can be a difficult endeavor. Too many of them completed high school with a sense that history is the most boring subject they had to endure, often taught by physical education coaches with no real expertise or interest in the subject. Students, especially those simply taking required survey courses, need more than just impassioned speeches and lively lectures to overcome the sense of dread they have so frequently come to associate with learning dates, facts, and sequences of events. Students need to see themselves as practicing historians, as entering academics learning the field. This is why I begin the first lecture of my courses by telling the students: “You’re all historians now, and that’s how I want you to think about yourselves for the rest of this semester.” My students then try to see themselves as historians, while I work to help them hone their skills. It isn’t easy to convince a large class of first-year students that they have been inducted into the field of history, but the effort is worth it when I see one of them enthusiastically debating a primary source or expressing a growing understanding of their own personal connections to historical events.
It is important for my students to understand that they are performing history, as surely as solving a calculus problem would be doing math or coding a computer application would be programming. This is why I don’t just tell my students that they are newly minted historians, but I make sure to treat them as such. By and large, they reciprocate by acting the part. Since adopting this approach, I have been regularly impressed with the nuance and understanding that my students display in their essays, and the courtesy with which they can discuss and debate even some of the most difficult topics. Moreover, by treating undergraduate students as historians, we in the educational system acknowledge their potential and reinforce the idea that their contributions and insights are valuable. This boost in self-esteem can be particularly empowering for students who may not have previously seen themselves as having a place within the academic world. Furthermore, the expectation of rigorous and professional-level work from undergraduates can encourage them to push their intellectual boundaries, fostering a culture of academic excellence that transcends traditional hierarchies.
Treating undergraduate students as budding professional academics, particularly in fields like history, can significantly enhance educational equity by creating an inclusive and intellectually stimulating environment. When students are given the opportunity to engage with their coursework in a manner akin to that of professional historians, it democratizes and eliminates barriers to the learning process that may be based on socioeconomic status, prior educational experiences, or background. This approach promotes equality by fostering an inclusive atmosphere where all students, regardless of their initial disadvantages, can thrive. By encouraging students to critically analyze primary and secondary sources, conduct original research, and contribute to the academic discourse, the traditional power dynamics between professors and students are dismantled. This, in turn, allows for a more equitable distribution of knowledge, enabling students from diverse backgrounds to access and participate in the intellectual traditions of their discipline.
Teaching students to critically assess primary source documents through a rigorous historical lens is an essential component of treating them as professional historians and promoting educational equity. By equipping students with the skills to scrutinize the authorship, audience, context, and purpose of historical documents, we empower them to navigate a complex, information-rich world. This approach encourages students to engage with diverse perspectives and sources they may not have encountered otherwise, fostering a more inclusive historical narrative that reflects the multiplicity of human experiences and viewpoints throughout history. For survey courses, this approach means overturning students’ preconceived notions of history by having them read a variety of primary sources. There is simply no substitution to reading the words of Tecumseh or Eugene V. Debs and trying to ascertain the meanings and motivations behind those words.
Treating students as practicing historians is an approach that I find carries over well to upper division classes as well. One exercise I have found useful in these classes is to teach students about oral histories and have them conduct one with an older member of their family. By performing background research, trying to understand the time-period of their subjects’ lives, developing the topic of the interview, and personalizing their questions, they were becoming oral historians. I reinforced the importance of taking the assignment seriously as a scholarly activity by requiring them to fill out summary sheets and get a signed release form from their interviewee, so their interviews could be legitimately archived in the university’s oral history archives. After interviews are completed, I regularly get student comments that support my teaching methods, but nothing so validates my approach as listening to the oral histories my students collect. By far, the majority of the interviews are conducted professionally, considerately, and respectfully, with less nervousness in their voices than I have heard from many graduate students first learning the craft.
Additionally, treating undergraduate students as professional academics has a profound impact on the diversity of voices and perspectives in academia. When students are encouraged to engage with their studies in a professional manner, it not only promotes equity within the classroom but also extends to the broader academic community. By cultivating an environment where all students feel their voices are valued, more individuals from underrepresented groups are likely to pursue advanced degrees and careers in all areas of academia. This, in turn, contributes to a more diverse and inclusive academic landscape, enriching the field of history with a wider range of experiences, viewpoints, and narratives. As additional evidence that this approach resonates with students, the most consistent feedback I get from students is that they typically hate history courses, but find mine enjoyable.
I know that most of my students will never be history majors, even those in my upper division courses, but while students are in one of my classes, they will be historians. They will learn to approach their studies with the critical eye of an historian, delving into primary sources, asking questions about authorship, audience, and purpose, and uncovering the nuanced layers of the past. This transformative experience not only enriches their education but also equips them with essential skills for a lifetime of critical thinking and informed decision-making. If a few of my students decide they want to continue being historians when the course is over, then all the better. However, even for those who pursue different paths, the skills and perspectives they gain during their time in my classroom will serve them well, promoting a deeper understanding of the world and a commitment to historical inquiry that can extend far beyond the confines of our course.
Teaching Experience
Courses Previously Taught at the University of Texas at El Paso
U.S. History to 1865: Survey course on U.S. History up to the Civil War. Course themes included the arrival of Europeans in the Americas, the relationships between settlers and Native Americans, and political struggles of the early American government. Taught 2017 & 2019.
Indigenous Women’s History: Undergraduate course on Indigenous women of North America. Students studied important Indigenous women in the history of the U.S. and Mexico, gender relationships among various Native American groups, and contemporary issues facing Indigenous women. Taught 2018.
Intro to Public History: Introductory undergraduate course on public history theory and practice. Covered concepts in critical museology, oral history, and digital history. Course assignments focused on practical applications, including critiquing local museums, conducting oral histories, and creating historical websites. Taught 2021.
Courses Previously Taught at El Paso Community College
U.S. History to 1877: Survey course on U.S. History through the Reconstruction era. Course themes included the arrival of Europeans in the Americas, the relationships between settlers and Native Americans, and political struggles of the early American government. Taught 2018-2021.
U.S. History Since 1877: Survey course on U.S. History since the Reconstruction era. Course themes included mass industrialization, the expansion of the western frontier, and labor & class struggles of 20th century. Taught 2018-2021.
World History to 1500: Survey course on World History to 1500. Course themes included the relationship between humans and nature, technological and cultural diffusion, and the development of complex societies. Taught 2020-2021.