On behalf of the entire History Department, I’d like to thank all those who were involved in yesterday’s very successful History Teachers’ Workshop. It was a very enlightening and congenial day, with an excellent mix of faculty members, graduate student TAs, undergraduate students and, of course, our guests – the high-school history teachers.
I’d like to thank in particular Bill Wicken for all his work organizing the day, Kathryn McPherson for so deftly moderating the discussion, and to Vanni, Anita and Patricia for all their excellent behind-the-scenes work to ensure that the day progressed without a hitch. Molly Ladd-Taylor was invaluable throughout in providing the organizers advice and support. The Department is hugely grateful to all the presenters (Molly, Craig Heron, Sean Kheraj, Deb Neill, Thabit Abdullah and Mike Ainsworth), and to all the colleagues, graduate students and undergraduates who made such a vital contribution to the discussions throughout the day.
It is clear that we have build up momentum here, and the plan that was hatched towards the end of the day to organize a session in the Fall to discuss some specific areas of history with our colleagues in the high-schools is a very promising one. I can only think that our ongoing dialogue with the history teachers is going to help us develop our curriculum in light of our incoming students’ needs and high-school experiences and to reinforce our institutional ties with the high-schools, whose history teachers in turn are more likely to encourage their students to enrol in York’s History programme.
This will all provide an excellent foil to the “TeachingHistory@York” initiative, launched this year by our doctoral-student TAs, under the excellent leadership of Mike Ainsworth, Abril Liberatori and Joanna Pearce. As you know, they will organize a series of workshops next academic year to discuss a whole variety of issues concerning teaching History to our undergraduate body. This, like yesterday’s History Teachers Workshop, is an excellent initiative, which will enhance the already high quality of teaching in the Department.
With all best wishes and thanks, Jonathan