Let's do this Gratitude to history teachers who taught us to love history I'll start. Mrs. Paul. 8th grade history teacher Made us write re: Hamilton & child labor. Got my attention! MANY years later I got to thank her for helping me learn to love history Getting to thank your teachers? The best!
12th grade, Maine Central Institute, the writer "Wild Bill" Forstchen was our history teacher. His pranks were legendary and he gave several of us a lifelong love of reenactment (and LARP).
Mr Lakey, grade 8 for making history more than memorizing dates and Dr Jeffries, freshman year who helped me see historiography is a 360° practice rather than a linear one.
Mrs Jarin, who okayed a high school term paper assignment for which I read the court transcripts of the trial of Sacco and Vanzetti. One of few hs assignments I remember to this day. Left me with an abiding belief in the value of primary sources.
Mr Lane Attoe.
Can't recall his name. Student Teacher in 8th grade history who told the class that generals tended to make lousy presidents. First time history was presented to me as something other than memorizing dates.
Got my Ph.D from one of the finest universities in the country, but my best history teacher was in high school, Daniel Wagner. Hard to explain, but something clicked in my mind when he taught me to think like a historian. So many of my friends who were good students couldn't figure it out.
Mr. Roche (I think - it’s been a long time) taught history of the labor movement in high school and that was a great class. He made that history come alive and asked us to read interesting and challenging books.
mr oliver global studies. he made me think about things from so many perspectives
and cultures
Chet Rexroth in high school, and Dr. Jackson Spielvogel at Penn State both inspired me to be a history teacher. Special shout out to my father, who took me to a lot of Civil War battlefields and historical sites when I was a kid.
Gr 6 ~ Mrs. O’Rourke We read Anne Frank’s Diary together as a class. I still remember the way she would reread sections & have us discuss it in groups. My group was assigned a discussion about Miep Gies & her role helping the Franks.
Kevin Hickson, Saint Joseph Academy in a tiny little corner of South Texas. Had him for a few history classes. Sparked a life-long love of history. I even won 1st place in a state-wide competition thanks to him. I took so many history classes in uni, I’d have a minor in hand if they’d offered it.
Oh! And in Uni, Prof. Giesen, History of Medicine. Found a way to combine my two loves: science and medicine with history.
Mr Paul Brennan. 7th & 8th Grade. Taught me a lot and put up with a lot of shit from an early teenage me. Mr Arthur Papandrea. 10th, 11th and 12th Grade. He was a Korean War veteran and told us about his personal experience in the war. I had already known a lot of history from my dad.
Mr. Klausnitzer. 7th grade ancient history. Used to get so excited about his subject matter he’d spit! And Fr.John Dunn, Jesuit, taught World Religions in h.s. He couldn’t spell. And he’d abbreviate everything he wrote on the board. And interesting device that worked for many of us!!
I remember Miss DaVinci who was my 9th grade Social Studies teacher at Hamilton Jr High School in Baltimore. Part of the curriculum was Civics where we learned about the constitution and the separation of powers, as well as State and Local gov’t We were taught how to recognize propaganda.
I didn't have a teacher like this in school, but many years later, I met a history teacher who helped me see how awesome history is. I got to meet her at the Harvard Book Store a few years ago, and I love being able to keep in touch with her and her feathered friends. Thank you, Professor Freeman.
My Dad, Tony Tomaselli. Small town newspaper editor and news journalist. Instilled in me the necessity and love of history.
Miss Moore---my 4th grade teacher, and our social studies textbook called "Rochester's Story."
Not a formal teacher, but my dad got me into watergate while I was home w chicken pox (I wanted comics, mom said no, he gave me Doonesbury instead of Hulk) and showed me All the Presidents Men and slowly walked me further back in time or casually mentioning something fun. Best teacher I ever had
I appreciate learning from you and HCR!
I could have named him before you "asked" but my fave was actually my geography teacher in jr high. He related everything to everything, rather than just getting us to memorize the major products of whatever country. It opened my eyes, and I think they've been staring in wonder ever since.
Mr. Sullivan, junior year, Leland High School. He made us read source documents like the Emancipation Proclamation (made my mother furious that he wasn't teaching "Lincoln freed the slaves"). He was stern. No nonsense. Eye-opening. Utterly intimidating. Difficult to please. Wonderful!
I scored two small victories in his class. He wore suits, with vests. One day, I asked if a friend made the vest he was wearing. "Yes. How could you tell?" "A woman made it. The buttons and button holes are on the wrong side for a man." And I corrected his pronunciation of "Nez Pierce".
9th grade - 12th John Donohue! You old stoner you! And Mr. Brown, 7 and 8 grade not a stoner! 6th grade... I can't recall! Mrs... something or other!
Bettie Woodson Weaver, my fourth grade history teacher, who also loved the local birds, and had grackles show up at her feeder. A truly great teacher who instilled me with a love of history. www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/m...
Mrs. Caples, my 8th grade history teacher. Her enthusiasm & unique way of teaching about the early U.S. made me realize that history can be exciting. Never would’ve thought then that she’d influence my decision to pursue becoming a historian of the period, but I’m so grateful.
Ms. Berlinski at Maryvale Middle School: 6th grade ancient history through the renaissance. Her room looked like a museum of dioramas, models, a suit of armor and quotes. She taught me how to write essays and synthesize (while writing DBQS, or document-based questions). Loved her class!
Mr. Hills, 9th grade World Civ teacher. And my dad, who dragged us to every Civil War battlefield in 3 states. He passed his love of history to me (though it took me a little while to fully appreciate it)!
Your solo episode on BackStory. I had never heard so much joy and laughter from a teacher. I had a handful of "good" teachers in my life, but none who blatantly and unashamedly enjoyed their work. And I come from a family of teachers.
❤️❤️❤️
My 4th grade teacher wrote, "needs more work in social studies." After getting my MA in history, I brought that old report card and the degree with me and asked her if I could stop there...I did, worked in museum education for 15 years, and now teach grade 7 Humanities.
Dr. Robert Derosier - 10th grade European History. Taught me (and other students) how to write an essay (and think critically). He met with us after school once / week. Despite my struggles in his class, I became a European History major in college and now live not far from where he fought in WWII.
Mrs. Hale who helped us learn slavery was the reason for the civil war through the words of those who waged it. For helping me learn about Mother Jones and find a true and abiding love of all things James A Garfield.
My history teachers were assistant football coaches. I taught myself.
Ms Hurley 4th grade. Taught us to write op-eds. Dissected the Dec of Independence word by word. And I too got to tell my great U/G mentor that all I ever wanted 2B when I grew up was the female version of him as a teacher. (He teared up)
Mr. Mas Okui - 7th-9th grade history teacher at Hughes Jr. High. He and his family were swept up during WWII in California and sent to the Manzanar internment camp. He gave many lectures about his experience and the indignities his family suffered. Incredible man and teacher!!
Ms. Viska (8th grade world history) leaned into letting us be passionate and curious and Mr. Heerman (10-12th/Apush/apme/independent study) was so funny while lecturing. He had all these sayings that lodged in my brain and (now I know) helped my brain build schema.
Dr. John Hogan 8th grade taught middle east and china from waaaay back to early 20th century he called us his little flowers
Mr. John Frazier High School AP History teacher I’ll admit I was learning mostly from rote memory, but it didn’t escape even my young, inexperienced, untraveled mind that he somehow managed to guide a group of teenaged girls to pass, all while reading from his Braille notes, because he was blind.
I do remember a paper on Vietnam, and quoting Billy Joel’s lyrics at the end. I think he gave me an A or a B.
@hcrichardson.bsky.social is my history teacher. She brings history to life!
Ms Shelton, 10th grade English. When we read To Kill A Mockingbird in class, she stopped to give us history context we wouldn’t learn in history until the next year. She was also a Black child in the South during Jim Crow and spoke from experience. The class was SILENT when she taught this unit.
Mr Mellinger junior high social studies. He told us there were four dates we needed to remember. More than 50 years later, I remember three of them. Mr Ruhl senior high history. He saw my potential to move to a higher level in classes.
Mr. Liapes, junior and senior year Honors History. Just so excited about the history - he drew us in - and simultaneously so demanding and so encouraging. Made me understand why context matters and pushed me to be better.
My Dad - a high school history teacher - and my Mom - a librarian and WW2 history buff.
Can’t remember his name. I’m bad at names. It was world history. I learned that history was more than memorizing names and dates. We examined interrelated events. We learned about big concepts and it sent me on a new path of learning.
Miss Sandeen, 6th grade history teacher. I always loved history, but she brought the “ordinary” people who lived it alive.
Gene Orr, 9th grade US History. Rode a Harley, had an earring, and was as bald as Mr Clean. He was super liberal and I was a contrarian conservative. We had lively arguments about many things, memorably Iran-Contra. I eventually got wise to the seeds he planted. And he’s still planting:
@hcrichardson.bsky.social and @jbf1755.bsky.social I discovered the two of you during COVID and got hooked! Always hated history back in school. Now I am an old broad with a new appreciation of how very important it is!
Mr. Dan Simonsen - 6th -8th grade history teacher, Hillview Middle Sch. This man was amazing in his knowledge and big in his heart, especially for weird kids like me. He taught history as it should by focusing on the things that motivated people throughout time, often in conflict with curriculum.
My dad, actually — he taught elementary school for 35 years. Nazi Gold (?) was a children’s picture book I dog-eared about the boys and girls who smuggled the gold out from under the Nazis in Norway. When I turned 11, he brought home a tween book on the Underground Railway. Good Dad to have.
My bad! I had this in 1979 or so. :)
I adored this book. Read it for the first time in 4th Grade. My teacher, Miss Dunn, had it in our classroom library. I chose it for our monthly book report. This was the cover. (There have been different ones.)
That’s the cover I remember. :) It was so good!!
Me too!
Loved it!
Recently discovered it's a movie! Free to stream on Plex. l.plex.tv/fWGDCjh
Wow! Thank you. Unlocking this core memory from Elementary school.
That’s awesome. Thanks!
I remember that book!
Was thst the gold buried beneath snowmen in Norway wwii?
My dad taught high school history for 40 years, not only to his students, but to his daughters as well. History was always a topic of conversation at home. Each trip included stops at all the historical sites. I became an RN, but also got a history degree "just because." Thanks, dad!
5th grade…Mrs Anderson
Ms. Dale King at Westbrook High school. She taught my Junior year History class, which should have been an A.P. level, and whether she knew it or not, gave me the background in American History to be a real teacher's pet in college. You rock, Ms. King!
My 5th grade teacher was Mrs. Corbett. From her I learned that both the Sumerians and the Norse used runic alphabets, that Eratosthenes demonstrated that the Earth is round, and that the first place where steel was forged was Africa. This was in the south, in the 1960s. She was extraordinary.
My Mom for taking me with her when she voted starting in 1972. I was elementary school. McGovern, McGovern, he's our man. Nixon belongs in a garbage can. 😁
Q.T. Carter, David Griesbach, Bruce Eddy.
Mr. Taylor, 7th grade Social Studies. Required us to do a presentation to class each quarter about states & countries & current events. Taught us to make and use note cards. Because of him I developed the confidence to speak in public. I am forever grateful.
My dad.
Dr. Martin Quitt. Taught me to think outside the box about American history, to look at family & society instead of the "parade of presidents."
Mrs. Wheeler, 5th grade, who said "There is no such thing as good writing, only good re-writing."
11th Grade. Mr. Seeley. We would read the NYTimes and discuss/research the context. He taught me the connection between history and the present moment.
Dennis Skiotis. Took his WW2 class after I'd graduated just for fun. The in-class learning was great, but even more powerful was visiting his office hours and hearing about his life, notably his time as a child under Japanese occupation in China during WW2. Thanks Prof. Skiotis.
Mr Firebaugh, senior hs civics
Drs. Chatfield and Behrman, college freshman history survey. I started out a pre-med major but switched after their class. They made history exciting and fun.
U.S. history, 11th grade, Miss Stone. In the conservative rural Midwest, she let us choose any topic for our two research papers. Mine? 1) The Seneca Falls Convention, and 2) Margaret Sanger. Mind blown open! With her encouragement, I went to a women’s college and majored in U.S. history. 🥲
Greg Gushwa. US History. Old hippie who wore Birkenstocks and crazy socks. Gave me a different perspective from my conservative parents.
Dr. Elinor G.K. Melville, who not only taught me to love Latin American history but taught me to believe in myself.
Mr Irwin Drobny (RIP) for AP European, who introduced us to historical scholarship and the far-reaching influence of Louis XIV. @nycclaudia.bsky.social
As a current U.S. History teacher, I appreciate the heck out of this thread and want to contribute. Big props to Rick Christian (Dunlap HS), Martin Hardman (EIU) and Junius Rodriguez (Eureka College) for furthering my love of history!
As a now engineer, I had initially mixed feelings for non-stem subjects like history. But my high-school history teacher had me captured on history, in the way she was able to connect historical facts with art, politics, culture and languages, and yes, science. Her holistic way of seeing the world!
Sylvia Burdine, born of British parents in India (which shows you how far back I go). As my world history teacher, she also taught us world religions. We got to realize it’s not all about Christians.
Stan Gurski-8th Grade Teacher in Roselle, NJ He would act out certain history lessons, often with costumes. Made history “come alive”, & reminded us that real people lived through these events. Got to thank him via Social Media, & told his family how much he meant to me when he passed last year.
Actually, I need to thank my students. Lots of history buffs in my family, but I never liked history as a student. I didn’t develop an appreciation for nor interest in history until I started teaching it to 5th graders. Years of 5th grade students really engaging with history taught me to love it.❤️
Mr. Franco in 6th grade. He was my algebra teacher but had a penchant for anecdotal histories. The story that got me was when he, a man in his fifties at the time, talked about how the pool in our small west Texas town was segregated when he was a kid.
Dr. Bradshaw - WYHS. Integration of music/art of the time period. Student presentations.
Stephanie Clark, Skyview High School. Assigned us Howard Zinn and Roger and Me. Told us in a government class in Spring 2002 to read newspapers and pay attention - we had a chance to watch the post-9/11 order develop in real time and develop our own thinking about the world we were graduating into.
Dr. Marshall, my freshman year history professor at Marist College. His reading list for that class expanded my horizons and made me love history books!
Gratitude to history teachers who taught us to love history Mrs Walsh at St Cadocs Primary in Halfway, Cambuslang We made Roman shields & learned to march in testudo formation when she taught us about the failed Roman attempts to invade Scotland. We also made a giant Viking ship from cardboard.
Ms. Aguirre, who taught SW History, for the first time, in my school.
Are you kidding? I had a stuffy college professor who even managed to make the French revolution boring! I learned more about the French revolution from Annette Gordon-Reed's The Hemingses of Monticello!
Mr. Lord, 6th grade. He used to take us on “field trips” to mysterious foreign locales that he had visited in person by doing slide shows and giving us pretend passports and making us food from the regions. It was very immersive and we loved them. Back then, teachers wrote their own curricula.
8th grade Mr. Ronnie L Benton, who spent 2 months with us reading the US Constitution, line by line, explaining what it meant and the backstory of why it was included.
Mr Faulks whom we could often get off topic to tell of his time in WW II or working as a detective, yet these anecdotes kept us interested in the broader subject he was teaching
Mr. Young who taught 5th grade history and Mr. Markarian who taught American Government my senior year. Thanks for prompting good memories.
My history teachers in grade and high school were not inspiring. But in college, a professor showed me how it should have been done. Starting with the French Revolution and showing how what we know of the history changes with new knowledge. Magnificent.
I hope current history teachers are rushing to recreate that lesson plan! Here's a resource as a starting point. www.nps.gov/articles/low...
I always loved and read history, but what made me a history major was Professor F. Roy Willis at UC Davis. He had a western civ survey course that was centered around great cities at the height of their greatness that so fascinated me I declared history as my major after my first freshman quarter.
Mr Scroggs, my high school teacher for world and us history, who shaped my love for depictions of history (good and bad) in cinema, and Prof. Eleanor Searle, who taught undergraduate courses on Venice and on 17th century europe, that still resonates as i try to make sense of the world.
6th Gr Mr P who taught us American History even touching on Teapot Dome, amiable Franklyn Pierce, etc. 11th Gr Mr V who taught us that the Nazis were not cool uniforms and jet planes but what they really were.
Sad I don’t remember her name. It was at Antelope Valley College and she was a beautiful black woman who told the most fascinating stories. She had gone to France to study and the French she met had never met a black woman who was fluent in French. History bored me until then. I taught it 30 years!
Grateful for a school that taught the why and how, rather than just the when. Exams were blue book essays.
Ms Derr, 11th grade American History and 12th grade World History; Mr Jackson, 11th and 12th grade literature and English comp; Prof Euben, Intro to Politics; and Prof Schaar, American Political Theory All helped make me, me
Mr. Gary Sullivan, who taught honors history at Reno High school in Reno, NV. I earned extra credit by reading and discussing Barbara Tuchman's "The Guns of August," something I'll never forget. My senior thesis at Yale was nominated for an undergrad history prize, (cont.)
and I proudly shared that news with him. My favorite history professors at Yale were John Blum, David B. Davis, and David Spadafora (a grad school dean who taught a seminar on the Enlightenment). My daughter also loves history and became a history major, earning honors at the U of Michigan.
Mr Treat. 10th Grade World History. I remember sitting in class chin in hands absolutely enthralled. He died of a heart attack in the hallway my senior year and I mourned him like my most beloved uncle.
Gratitude to history teachers. Mr. Watkins, Gr 13 US History (in a Toronto school). Had us read and analyze two opposing pieces about runes in Minnesota. Taught us about evidence, point of view, and misinformation. Eye opening. It was 1987.
Mr. Nockles, junior high history teacher. We held a treason trial against George Washington, assuming the British had won the Revolutionary War. I was his defense attorney.
My Favorite was a Civics Class in 1962 'Current World Problems'. Where the wonderful teacher with his rubber pointed stick pointed to the Straights of Hormuz and informed us that that would be the Crux Point in our Future. He was Spot on Yup
Mr. Black Grades 7,8,10 History Teacher Always gave the under dog students an opportunity. Made learning history fun. Treated his students like people - not mindless drudges to babysit.
Husband recalls college prof who got so into lectures you didn't want to be in front row (splash zone) but couldn't wait until next lecture. Me l, Dr Paulson who had us read first hand sources for AP American history. We had great group discussions.
Ms. Duffy. She thought I was better at the topic than my grades showed -an extremely novel concept to me- and gave us my favorite assignment ever: an extensive series of research questions to analyze a president’s decision-making. I have a career in public policy and administration thanks to her.
Miss Hoffman, 4th grade. She read to the class books excerpts including Hiroshima and The Fire that Will Not Die.
Jim Carter - 9th Grade History. Taught Russian history to a class of 14 yo boys and knew how to sell the salacious and bloody history so that we were really devoted to it. Also used the first textbook that I had which included primary source readings for each - & jokes about the USSR from citizens
Dr Bogue who was an excellent outward bound instructor in addition to teaching World History in 10th Grade and had super inventive readings and writing assignments to bring out creativity with your comprehension.
Dr. Paul Gordon Lauren. Such a good get for a small university. www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/paul-gordon-...
4th grade. Senior year in high school. I taught his little one that year. A college professor who made history interactive.
Mr LaDuca, who immigrated from Italy when he was 2 years old &, like so many immigrants, loved this country deeply. We spent several weeks on the Constitution in Am History class—the debates, the compromises, the articles & amendments that emerged. It served me well when I took my citizenship exam.
In 8th grade, our social studies teacher went totally off the curriculum to do a unit on world religions. It was a wonderful journey. In addition to the content of the lessons, it also allowed me for the first time to consider religion objectively, rather than as something people tried to push on me
Delores Windt, 5th grade, Alexandria, VA — made me fall in love with history, taught us maps tell stories, and we could be “history detectives,” searching for clues / piecing together the past. 🗺️📜🔍🏛📖🕵️🏻♀️She lived long enough to see me become a history teacher, too! 👩🏻🏫
Mrs Kime! Arlington HS!!!
Mr. Marienhoff & Mrs. Wollner at HS of Music & Art. Opposite sides of political spectrum. Both deeply smart, demanding, utterly unromantic about American history which made me love it. Both fascinated by American democracy. He was so funny I took notes on his jokes. Both demanded precise language.
Western Civ at Hope High School, Hope, Arkansas. And American History at U of AR. And The Federalists Papers class at UT Dallas. And yeah-Ancient Aliens. For the history.
Richard Demers. One of the best lecturers ever Chapeau scholah youd HATE this new great fear argument
💯 pct! So glad I was able to recognize the HS lessons of Mr Marienhoff. Also, he ensured I would keep learning today from you, Immerwahr, HCR and others. Thanks teach!
Prof. Ronald Christ, formerly of Rutgers. When I left college due to a meltdown, he translated a Chilean novel -- E. Luminata by Diamela Eltit -- on my behalf, as encouragement to write. He suspected that I would get the allegorical allusion, penned under Pinochet. It mirrors Sting's Cueca Solo.
I just sent a message to my very influential Am Lit teacher to tell her how important she was, but I’m afraid I may have waited too long… :(
Mr Mansfield, the best AP world history teacher there ever was. I can't put into words how much bigger my brain felt at the end of that year. The first time I felt like I really knew and understood the world I lived in.
Mrs. Dolezal High School Algebra, Pre-Calculus, and Calculus Taught me how to love math. The first time I “got it”. I’d even stay after school to do extra homework and proofs because I fell in love with it. Tested into Honors Calculus in college. I never thought I’d be good at math until her. 🥹
Susan O'Neill, my 8th grade History Teacher, the daughter of Tip O'Neill, so we got to meet him. Shannon Derian, my American Civ teacher in 11th grade. Both great ladies who taught us so much.
As a historian, I can't thank just one. From Mr. Westover in Jr. High to my graduate committee chair Dr. Tanenhaus, they each led me to the place I am now.
Mine are: Mr. Jordan, high school Dr. Smith, college Dr. Blodgett, college
Is it weird to say she's spectacular? I feel history in this glorious visage. Bless you for sharing.
Mr. Bob Dodge, high school, Modern European History and AP MEH. Introduced me to the Scarlet Pimpernel and Barbara Tuchman…first time I encountered history outside of terrible textbooks. He’s one of two teachers who whisper in my ear as I teach today: “Keep the story in history!”
I had zero interest in history until I started listening to @hcrichardson.bsky.social about 5 years ago. 😊 and now you, too.
Mr. Dawson, my AP European history teacher. He served in the merchant marine and looked like a Cossack. Tons of cool stories, and he taught us that you can understand history by knowing what came before it.
Ex. the reason the Spanish could afford to send Columbus on his expedition is that they had just kicked the Moors out of Spain and looted their monasteries. And he made us make a large paper timeline of the Bolshevik revolution 🙃
My mom! She taught 8th grade history for over 20 years.
mr hayter, 11th grade american history. brought the subject matter to life. charming. fun. he was the first person i turned to for a rational explanation on september 11, 2001, my senior year. i gave him a can of cashews after I graduated (he loves them as much as i do).
Gary Borgnino 11th gr American History, taught more than dates and treated us like adults.
Mr. Coe. He was brilliant. I was already primed for history, thanks to my parents who let me jump around every ruined church or castle in a fifty mile radius. Then I went to college and I met Helga... I still love history and I will never forget why. Those teachers.
Mrs Lewis, from whom I studied U.S. history and European history. I still remember her final sapiential words written in my HS yearbook. “The unexamined life is not worth living.” - Plato
Mrs. VanClief, she enthusiastically lectured so I didn’t need to read the text book because she was so excited and engaging.
Mrs. Ida Nesheiwat 9th grade Social Studies Ida had come to the U.S. from Jordan and taught me to look beyond the shores of the U.S. She shared some of her own reflections about both the joys and the turmoil of her family's life in the Middle East. She really opened my eyes.
Hey, do you identify as a feminist? If so, would you like to be included in my most recent starter pack? go.bsky.app/7dB1eLT
Charlie Sparks in junior high. One of the best.
It seemed like the only thing my history teacher hated more than his job was the students. I came late to the game and often wonder what it would have been like to have the likes of you and Heather for teachers! ❤️
Have thought many times recently how fortunate I’ve been to have had the privilege of both primary and secondary teachers who did so well with building my foundation.
