On the Bright Side

My husband and I recently went out to dinner with some friends. We were driving in my car and, in typical mid-semester madness, my books were strewn about on the floor of the car (some things never change). Half-way to the restaurant my friend announces from the back seat, “Hey! This stuff is really interesting. I wish I paid more attention in high school!” She, like almost every other adult I encounter, “hated” history in high school, but now finds it very compelling. Whenever I tell people I teach history to high school students the reaction is always the same. First, they can’t imagine my choice to spend my days in a high school classroom, and second, that I teach the “worst” subject. This aversion always astounds me, although I must admit I posses a similar disinclination to chemistry. Nonetheless, I’ve always loved history, even as a kid. Which is, I suppose, a major reason I was drawn to this profession.  My students inevitability begin each year with the same lack of ent...