What are some exciting things happening in your life?
I just completed my 7th year of teaching middle and high school history. In addition to my regular 9th grade and 12th grade classes, this past year I also taught 7th grade history for the first time. During the summer, I will be traveling to Europe for 3 weeks, which is pretty exciting.
Favorite or recommended history books?
So many! Here are a few: Tangled Memories by Maria Sturken was the book that got me hooked on Public History. Visualizing the Nation: Gender, Representation and Revolution in Eighteenth Century France by Joan Landes and Fighting for American Manhood by Kristen Hoganson both reshaped the idea of gendered history to me and continue to influence me as a teacher.
Why did you seek an MA in History?
I have my B.A. in history and was teaching high school history for a year when I applied to Villanova. I always knew I wanted to get my M.A. and continuing to study history made sense. I had no game plan when I began, but just wanted to increase my knowledge and understanding of different areas of history.
Before attending Villanova, what did you have in mind, career-wise, after completing the program? Did you pursue this? If not, what changed your mind?
As I said, I was already employed in my current teaching position before I attended Villanova. However, as I concentrated in Public History, I often thought about pursuing a job in that field and even did an internship one summer. I also applied to PhD. Programs and was accepted into two programs. However, I decided to stay with my teaching position. The education that I received from Villanova assured me that I would be successful in any of those paths, however, I like teaching teenagers and being in the school environment. My coursework has helped me develop interesting and informative lessons for the high school crowd. I believe I engage with my education regularly in my job and use it in ways I may not have always expected.
Give us a brief description of your job.
I teach 9th Grade World History, 12th Grade Social Justice and will be teaching a 12th grade elective entitled “History Through Film,” which will explore the ways historical moments are portrayed in movies. I have also taught 7th grade American History. In addition to teaching, I coordinate our entire school’s community service program and often chaperone service trips. I also serve as the 9th grade class moderator. And mostly, I have a lot of fun with my students and colleagues despite the business of a high school day.
How did you get involved with this job/career?
I started by teaching certificate as an undergraduate, but stopped before I completed it. In my first year after college graduation, I was volunteering and completed my PA Teaching Certificate. Near the end of the process, a college friend of mine informed me about this teaching position. I applied, was hired and have been there ever since!
What do you enjoy about your job?
The students. It may sound cliché, but the students make my job. I teach at small, all girls’ school and the relationships we develop with our students are the main reason I enjoy it so much. Of course, I enjoy spending time discussing and analyzing history every day too! Every now and then a student tells me that she never liked history until my class, which is an ultimate compliment. Community service is important to me so I am also grateful for a job that allows me to use that passion, even if it can make my schedule overwhelming at times. Overall, I love seeing their maturation process and being a small part of helping them form their own identities. We also have a lot of fun with school traditions and I have great colleagues.
How have the knowledge and skills you developed as a VU grad student helped you in your current career?
It is certainly a challenge to take graduate level coursework and apply it to high school students. I have tried numerous things and some have worked and some have not. However, I try to take a theory or principle from class and use it to structure an activity or lesson. For example, when we go on field trips to museums, I can use language and ideas from classes on material culture. When I teach Ancient Rome, we look at images of women and written descriptions of female virtue, and usually the girls arrive at the conclusion that we aren’t hearing authentic female voices. (Thanks Dr. Hartnett!). This spring, when I teach the film course, I plan to draw on various discussions from classes to help lead discussions and projects on popular history vs. real history. On a practical level, teaching high school requires you to teach a lot of history in a short amount of time. Graduate classes certainly helped in providing me a base knowledge and timeline of history, as well as giving me some anecdotal stories to share.
Do you have any additional background, training, or experience that has aided you in your career?
I now hold a permanent Teaching Certificate for Citizenship Education (grades 7-12) in Pennsylvania. Citizenship Education is what Pennsylvania calls Social Studies.
What would you tell current students who are nervous about job prospects with an MA in History?
Since I was employed throughout my time as a graduate student and remained at my job, I am probably not the best person to ask. However, as person who has interviewed recent grads for teaching jobs, I can say that you should always be looking to fill any gaps that you may have in relation to a particular job. Employers know a new person isn’t going to come into a job with all of the skills and experience they want. However, if you can talk about ways you are learning them or even background knowledge, it makes a good impression.
Any other wisdom you’d like to pass on?
If you are interested in teaching, I recommend trying to shadow some teachers or substitute. Teaching is certainly not for everyone, but it has been wonderful for me. That probably applies to any interest. If you have a thought of pursuing a particular job, use some of your time in grad school to explore it. Finally, enjoy being a graduate student. I miss the academic environment and stimulating discussions. Villanova truly has a wonderful history department and use the time there to your advantage!
