Social studies student expands classroom skills at national teaching conference

Social studies student expands classroom skills at national teaching conference

A Northwest Missouri State University student took advantage of an opportunity to attend a summer teacher professional development conference in New Orleans, where he gained a better understanding of the best strategies to teach different perspectives of history.

Colby Johnson, a senior social studies-history major from Gladstone, Missouri, attended "Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in World War II." The conference in June examined the contributions of more than 1.2 million African American men and women who served in all branches of the U.S. military during the war.

Through an application process, Johnson earned one of just 40 spots to attend the conference. He said the experience broadened his knowledge as a historian and educator, enabling him to speak confidently in his student teaching position.

"It was truly a life-changing experience for me as I head into the professional education world," Johnson said. "I feel so much more qualified interacting with students in my student teaching position right now."

Even before attending the summer conference, Johnson was passionate about teaching and the impact history education can have on students.

"I never really developed any kind of relationship with my history teachers throughout middle school and high school, but I always felt like history was the most important subject," Johnson said. "I understand that not everyone loves history that much, but I want to be able to connect with my students and use history to give them a foundational understanding of why the world is the way it is."

The National World War II Museum hosted four summer workshops for current or preservice history teachers, English teachers or librarians as part of its Teaching World War II Summer Teacher Professional Development program. Attendees received curriculum, books and materials to use in their classrooms to help bring history and STEM to life for their students.

The workshops explored topics including oral history, primary versus secondary sources and how to use historical content in the classroom. Daily sessions discussed themes through lessons, hands-on experiences and field visits.

One field visit took participants to the Whitney Plantation, which is dedicated to educating the public about the history of slavery in the United States. Johnson said it was one of the most emotional days of the conference.

"You could tell how moving the entire experience was for everyone who visited the plantation," Johnson said. "And that was one of my favorite days because part of when learning about history becomes effective is when you can connect it to someone's ethos, pathos and logos, drawing them in emotionally."

Johnson learned that teaching history goes beyond events and dates. He believes it should also expose students to experiences different from their own.

"It's important for me to be a responsible history teacher and to do the best I can to incorporate multiple perspectives in my classroom," Johnson said. "When you focus on one singular viewpoint, you are not really learning the whole of what happened. There isn't one group of people that is more important than another; everyone matters."