Ira Lee Benjamins
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I’m a Professor of History at San Jacinto College in Houston, Texas and I’ve been teaching for more than 20 years.  My career includes teaching at the secondary, community college, and university levels.  Previously, I was a Visiting Assistant Professor of History at Texas Southern University and served as the Assistant Director of Social Studies in the Division of Curriculum at the Texas Education Agency. I have published reviews in the Journal of Southern History, the Journal of African American History, The History Teacher, and Men and Masculinities.

I obtained a Ph.D. in the history of 19th-century American slavery from the University of Houston in 2014, as well as a Graduate Certificate in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. My areas of specialization include early America, slavery and abolition, gender, and history education.

So far my research has centered on the history of American slavery, abolitionism, and masculinity.

Currently, my teaching at San Jacinto College focuses on both halves of the U.S. history survey. I’m in the process of revising my courses to include more primary sources and case studies as a vehicle to practice the habits of mind advocated by Sam Wineburg and the scholars of the Standford History Education Group or SHEG (LINK). As well, I’m working to blend SHEG practices with the writing based teaching methodology of the Bard Institute for Writing and Thinking (LINK) and the high impact teaching strategies of AVID for Higher Education (LINK) to foster improved student success. I look forward to contributing to and engaging with the Teaching U.S. History community.

I’m a Professor of History at San Jacinto College in Houston, Texas and I’ve been teaching for more than 20 years.  My career includes teaching at the secondary, community college, and university levels.  Previously, I was a Visiting Assistant Professor of History at Texas Southern University and served as the Assistant Director of Social Studies in the Division of Curriculum at the Texas Education Agency. I have published reviews in the Journal of Southern History, the Journal of African American History, The History Teacher, and Men and Masculinities.

I obtained a Ph.D. in the history of 19th-century American slavery from the University of Houston in 2014, as well as a Graduate Certificate in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. My areas of specialization include early America, slavery and abolition, gender, and history education.

So far my research has centered on the history of American slavery, abolitionism, and masculinity.

Currently, my teaching at San Jacinto College focuses on both halves of the U.S. history survey. I’m in the process of revising my courses to include more primary sources and case studies as a vehicle to practice the habits of mind advocated by Sam Wineburg and the scholars of the Standford History Education Group or SHEG (LINK). As well, I’m working to blend SHEG practices with the writing based teaching methodology of the Bard Institute for Writing and Thinking (LINK) and the high impact teaching strategies of AVID for Higher Education (LINK) to foster improved student success. I look forward to contributing to and engaging with the Teaching U.S. History community.