post 2

i tried to post this a long time ago, but was not quite literate at the time. now i am.

"While I no longer have the confidence that I can dramatically increase my students' reading level, I have decided to focus on another big goal: decreasing apathy. No matter what we teach and no matter a student's background, apathy plays a critical role in the persistence of failure. While there's no tried and true indicators for the degree to which students care about school or what they are studying, it certainly shows in their attitude and performance.

I have found a little grin on my face when overhearing my students spiritedly discuss the merits of communism, debate the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles, or note the injustices apparent in DC's local government structure. Even though they may never think about it a second time, and they will certainly not lie awake at night contemplating the longterm cultural and political impact of European colonialism, it's an incredible thing to witness those fleeting moments of excitement.

History can be a hard sell. Aside from the off chance that they will wind up on a trivia game show, or that they make the curious decision of pursuing a history PhD, or understanding the dangerously abstract moral importance in studying the past, it's pretty hard to make the case for history's importance in my student's lives. I've tried, but can't say that we are on the same page. So the moments in which they truly empathize and connect to people of different cultures from different time periods, however brief, are truly rewarding."