How Do We Account for Individuality in Group Projects?

We’ve all known that one group member, the one who doesn’t show up (either physically or mentally) to any of the meetings. We’re also all familiar with that group leader, the one who takes initiative and sometimes takes over. And certainly we’ve all experienced group conflict. Just because you’re in a group with someone doesn’t…

Letting Students Craft the Narrative

“Do we really have to read all these sources?” When I first heard this now oft-repeated refrain, I wondered to myself if the students really do need to read the many primary and secondary sources I require for their Problems in American Life group meetings. Part of my hesitation stemmed from the fact that I…

Contemporary Issues, Past to Present

“Who here doesn’t like history?” Students in my US History from 1865 to present class probably didn’t expect such a greeting from their professor. But they seemed intrigued when I laughed and raised my hand too. I told them that history as it’s often taught – as a succession of dates and names and events…

Teaching American History in an Atlantic World

Six weeks ago, my colleague John Marks and I organized and hosted an exciting event at Rice University. “Race and Nation in the Age of Emancipations: A Symposium on the Atlantic World” included 6 panels, 15 presentations, 2 keynote lectures, and many informal conversations over Tex-Mex and barbeque exploring the complicated relationship between race, nation,…

Thinking Like A Historian

  Like most first-time teachers, I think too much, I plan too much, I want to do too much in every class session. This has been one of the most difficult aspects of teaching so far. How am I supposed to cram ALL of the American Revolution into two 50-minute class sessions? When there is…

Stepping onto the Teaching Stage — Are We Ever Prepared?

As a first-time teacher of the American history survey, I’ll be contributing to the TUSH blog to share my experiences and cull some much needed advice from you veterans. I’m a Ph.D. Candidate in History at Rice University, examining how nineteenth-century African American women utilized the material and visual culture of their domestic lives to…