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A Teacher's Letter: A Testimonial to Humanities Texas Teacher Professional Development Workshops and Institutes

March 25, 2017

From the moment you first walk in to a Humanities Texas professional development, it is obvious that the experience will be unlike any other teacher training. The attention to detail, the level of knowledge imparted and the creative structure of the presentation are unsurpassed and make a Humanities Texas summer institute a unique educational opportunity.

The staff at Humanities Texas has found the magic format for effective teacher professional development. They recruit "rock star" historians—those whose latest books can be found on The New York Times Best Seller list—to present the latest in scholarship about a particular era or topic. For the teacher these sessions are like going back to college; the teacher feels excited to learn; to rearrange previously held frameworks and incorporate new information. Content is deepened, and new interpretations of historiography are understood. This is definitely not the typical professional development where the same old strategies and techniques are repackaged under a new title and the teacher is left feeling underwhelmed with the training.

The presentation sessions are great, but what makes Humanities Texas summer institutes really stand out from the rest is what comes after the presentations. Teachers are able to sit in seminars with these amazing historians and interact with them about selected primary sources—sources that the teacher will be able to use to deepen instruction in their classrooms.

As an on-level United States history teacher in the Edgewood Independent School District located on San Antonio's Westside, I am always looking for ways that my predominately at-risk Mexican-American students can make connections with the past. One of the most effective ways is through the use of primary source documents. For example, I can explain the role Ronald Reagan played in ending the Cold War and many students will understand. I show a political cartoon of a large footprint with Reagan's name on it crushing the Berlin Wall, and suddenly all of my students across the learning spectrum—special education students, English learners, and gifted students—understand what Reagan was attempting to do. Moreover, having the ability to analyze a primary source takes student thinking to a higher level and allows them to develop critical thinking skills that will prepare them for college and careers as well as to be astute citizens of the world.

One thing I appreciate about Humanities Texas is their acknowledgement of the standards that all public school teachers must use to direct their teaching. They ensure that these standards are addressed by the historians. As a result, teachers are able to take what they learn and immediately apply it to the classroom.  But given the format, teachers are not just tied to the one-size-fits-all approach of most professional developments. Instead, teachers are exposed to a banquet of options and are able to pull those that would best suit their communities, educational environments and students. I might not be able to use a five page Congressional Report directly with my on-level students, but an Advanced Placement teacher can. A photo or political cartoon might be more effective with my students, but the point is we are given the opportunity to choose and to do what is instructionally best for our students.

I would like to offer a few examples of how I incorporated material from last summer's institute and the impact it had on my teaching and my students this school year. The topic last year was Post War America 1945-1960. I found the most fascinating topic was that of the scourge of polio and how it was defeated in the 1950s.  It was presented by David Oshinsky from New York University; an amazing scholar and storyteller who had the entire room hanging on his every word. During the seminar portion with Professor Oshinsky, my attention was caught by a letter written by Franklin D. Roosevelt which detailed his struggles to overcome the physical limitations of polio. I saw that this was a perfect letter for my students to read. Not only would they understand the toll of polio, they would also be able see that everyone has obstacles to overcome—even those who go on to become president of the United States. In my classroom this past February, students read the letter, analyzed it and drew their own conclusions. Many commented about the strength of character needed to be steadfast in the face of change and made connections to their lives.

Another primary source that I knew I wanted to incorporate in my classroom this year was a political cartoon by Herb Block. This political cartoon shows government agents investigating a high school classroom for communist materials. I included this political cartoon as part of a gallery walk about the American government response during the Second Red Scare in the 1950s. Students had to critically analyze the political cartoon by answering a couple of questions and point out the absurdities of the "investigation". In addition they had to explain how these types of investigations limit people' s rights and how those in a democracy must always find a balance between liberty and security. Finally, students had to come up with their own unique and creative title for the political cartoon that reflected the correct historical context.

The final example is a memo that was sent out to African American churches in Montgomery, Alabama imploring them to not ride the bus on Monday in support of an unnamed women who has been arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus. What caught my attention about this primary source was how it asks ordinary people to take on a system to fight against injustice. During my lesson this past semester, amazing discussion was generated based on this memo. Students were asked: Would you be willing to sacrifice for the greater good? What issues would you be willing to sacrifice for in today 's world? A primary source like this not only allows students to understand the past, but also to identify the issues of today and their role as agents of change.

The study of history should allow students to not only understand the past, but to make sense of the present and prepare for the future. By focusing on up-to-date content and the use of skills through the analysis of primary sources, Humanities Texas helps teachers engage students in learning about their history and so prepares them for the future. By focusing teacher training on primary source documents, Humanities Texas gives teachers the ability to challenge student thinking to give them the skills necessary for the future as a college student, employee or simply as a good citizen of the world.

In my 24 years as a teacher, I have attended hundreds of hours of professional development and in the past decade I have attended seven Humanities Texas summer institutes. I can confidently say that no other organization even attempts to so powerfully impact the teaching and learning of United States history in the state of Texas as does Humanities Texas, and I hope that they will be able to do so for many years to come.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Reid
United State History Teacher