What teaching method was most effective for you as a student in your history classes?

Question

What teaching method was most effective for you as a student in your history classes?

Answer 1

One year I had a history teacher who just put questions on the board.  We were to answer them on paper while he read the newspaper - EVERY DAY.  That wasn't effective.

Then, I had an advanced social studies class with a teacher who encouraged discussion and actively taught critical thinking skills, even how to analytically eliminate multiple choice answers on tests.  (That was helpful).  Her class was very engaging.

I try to do the same for my students and vary the routine.  Sometimes instead of reading the textbook, we'll read a reproducible comic with the same information.  Or I assign topics and the students teach the lesson.  History always seems to be my students' favorite subject (I teach seven daily).

Answer 2

I like a story teller.  I like a good old-fashioned lecture, as long as I can ask questions because I can't stand to hear the same voice for too long.  I hate group work.

My students love my ppts.  here they are:  sunsetrules.googlepages.com

Answer 3

A great teacher! ;-)

Answer 4

I was always drawn to history as a kid but did struggle greatly with my history classes.  I found it to be tough with lecture, lecture, read the book section and do a worksheet, repeat process until the end of the chapter and unit test followed.  It was too much info to retain, and I was smart kid who did well in all my other classes.  What helped as when I took a history class in college and all of a sudden there were pictures and documentary videos.  Hallelujah!  That was the ticket for me - the visual component beyond the little ones in the textbook.  

Now that I am a teacher myself (though not a history teacher), I have seen what one history teacher in our building does.  He incorporates way cool hands on things in his American History class.  When they learned about Henry Ford and the use of an assembly line, he had the kids in groups plan how to make PBJ sandwiches on an assembly line, then one day each group did it via demonstration and they were able to see differences and apply different ideas.  They absolutely loved it.  That's just one idea.  With imagination, it all comes together.  The kids love the class and retain things so well.

Answer 5

not teaching

Answer 6

Turning history into stories rather than just dates to be memorized.  History was not my favorite, but when I got to hear the stories about what started a war, details that lead to an event, or resulted from an event, it helped me to better remember and understand history.  

Answer 7

I never really cared for history, and was frequently bored in class.  I was always an A student, got a full ride to college, etc. but I struggled in History because I found it boring or irrelavent.

If the teacher dedicated a bit of time each day discussing how that day's lesson applied to current situations--with a class discussion--that would interest me more.  I don't think we really understand the importance of history until we are older, and it would be great to actively educate kids about that.

Also: movies are always good, if used wisely.