Educational Philosophy 

Challenging “Bad History”: an Ad Fontes Attitude

How we frame and communicate historical concepts not only shape our understanding of the past but also influence how we engage with the present. In my classroom, I challenge conventional, often reductive narratives to broaden students’ perspectives and foster critical engagement with history. I encourage students to see the relevance of the past in shaping modern identities, enabling them to engage thoughtfully with the world around them. In my introductory survey course, “Europe in the Middle Ages: Rome to the Renaissance,” students are trained to rethink traditional ideas about the “Middle Ages” within the context of today’s social and political issues. This objective is achieved through a variety of pedagogical methods, with weekly thematic analyses of primary sources, both in and out of class, serving as the foundation of the learning experience.

Dispelling ideas like the “Dark Ages” begins by questioning how history has been told to us, and how we continue to tell it to one another—questioning narratives like these is most effectively done through putting them in the light, and in studying primary sources in a collaborative environment. Each week, students engage in discussion-based analysis of primary sources. These in-class conversations are precipitated by individually written discussion board answers to prompts centered around a primary/secondary source synthesis and analysis (worth a portion of their final grade). These answers receive specific instructor feedback and are due the morning of each week’s first-class meeting. This provides me the opportunity to incorporate student feedback about the readings into each of my lectures. Each lecture is, in turn, preceded with what I call the “Explainer,” a concise and thought-provoking summary of the lesson’s material, thesis, or theme. Sometimes, students and I write these “Explainers” together, further fortifying their synthesizing skills. Learners consistently report that the “Explainers” help them connect weekly topics to the course’s larger narrative.

While discussion board prompts provide an out-of-class chance for students to showcase their distinctive brainstorming, they also work in small groups and using the Harkness method to apply historical methods of inquiry in-class. When learning about the Crusades, they read excerpts from St. Bernard of Clairvaux’s In Praise of the New Knighthood in concert with secondary sources detailing the 2017 alt-right protests in Charlottesville, Virginia. By examining the historical precedents of modern intolerances, students see how ideas, traditions, and beliefs (though separated by time and space) can feel both strikingly foreign and deeply resonant with modern sensibilities. When learning about the fall of Rome and ensuing barbarian invasions, students also observe the famous sixth-century mosaics of the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna, a marvel to see even now. Students report that exercises like these encourage them to connect the past with the present, a central goal of my courses.

I recognize the importance of making history come alive by connecting it to students’ personal interests and strengths. By incorporating multiple learning modalities—visual, auditory, and kinesthetic—I strive to meet students where they are and adopt a deeper, more personal engagement with the material. For example, when teaching medieval art and architecture, I take students to a museum, where they can interact directly with objects from the past. Learner-evaluations have highlighted the effectiveness of this sort of experiential initiative. One student described the museum and special collections visits as “really effective,” and a “great way to better our engagement with the sources” while also deepening understandings of “more theoretical material.” 

Besides field trips, I include music (like the compositions of St. Hildegard of Bingen) and video into my lectures, breaking up different knowledge-delivery styles to reset attention spans as well as to meet diverse learning needs. I disperse occasional pop quizzes across the semester on this sort of material; however, unlike traditional pop quizzes I never count these assessments against a student’s progress in my class. Instead, these instances are treated as spontaneous historical trivia moments designed to give students the chance to earn extra points towards their final grade. Student feedback has consistently stated that these surprise, non-penalized quizzes endorse overall motivation for the course as well as hone close-reading and listening skills. 

In addition to a take-home, open-book midterm exam (IDs, Short Answers, Essay) and in-class, closed-book final exam, students demonstrate their original thinking and research through a final project. I design this project in lieu of a term paper, and students work hands-on with manuscripts and artifacts from Duke’s special collections and Nasher Museum. They create final projects worth a quarter of their total grade, ranging from performances to handcrafted objects which they present to their peers. This hands-on approach not only helps students retain information but also cultivates a sense of personal joy and curiosity of their own. This project is scaffolded into three individual checkpoints due throughout the semester, allowing students to develop their thinking through multiple feedback and revision opportunities. In-class peer workshops provide them with further moments of collaboration and idea development. Pedagogies like these are proven to nurture the development of original thought and research within learners. Student survey responses reported that the multiple checkpoints simultaneously curtailed the tendency to procrastinate while promoting “fun” opportunities to collaborate and brainstorm with colleagues. 

As a teacher, I am also a mentor, and I strive to build strong relationships with my students not only by guiding them through historical content but also by treating them as intellectual equals. I implement this pedagogy when I empower students to co-design their final exam alongside me. Over the course of two weeks, students work together to “think like a teacher” when writing short answer and essay prompts. This exercise affirms their agency in the learning process; it moreover causes them to consider micro-macro relationships surrounding historical events, combining their synthetic and analytic skillsets in advance. Co-designing the final exam with students directly leads to a stronger and enhanced engagement with the material as well as improved performance outcomes.

Ultimately, my goal is to empower students to think critically about history and its modern implications, equipping them with the skills and confidence to engage with diverse cultures and worldviews as informed, responsible global citizens. This occurs when primary sources are taken seriously and studied in-depth within a collaborative setting. Students are rarely to blame for the “bad history” they know (spoiler alert: the “Dark Ages” never existed). By challenging established narratives through an ad fontes methodology, and in creating inclusive learning environments, I inspire students to approach history—and the world—through an open, reflective, and grounded vantage point.