What Makes a Good Social Studies Teacher

So what makes a good social studies teacher? I enjoyed reading through your thoughts and getting a
glimpse into seeing how you think and what you think. I have a few statistics for you: The word "engage"
or some form of it was said 34 times throughout all the discussion posts only. The world "Content" (or
some reference to knowing the material)-about 35 mentions. Passion was mentioned 7 times. I think this
is an interesting way to look at what we think as a group. I am very pleased to see "engage" talked about
so much in regards to what makes a good social studies teacher. I I couldn't agree more. To teach social
studies effectively, engagement has got to be #1. It is our single greatest weapon to defeat the arch
nemesis of a social studies teacher: the word "boring." It seems like social studies/history and "boring" are
always grouped together. Unfortunately, there are a lot of teachers out there that do make it very boring.
Engage the students and you can teach them whatever you want!
Every one of you said something about engagement, passion, and/or positive attitude. That's awesome!
I'm glad you are thinking along those lines. Now, the hard part: don't forget that or lose sight of it when
you become a real teacher because, sad to say, some teachers definitely have. It seems trying to be an
engaging teacher is a no brainer, but as some of you mentioned, there are definitely boring teachers out
there. So don't be one! Some of you mentioned that you immediately thought of a past teacher when you
read the discussion prompt. That means that teacher had an impact on you!
Some other keywords that were mentioned that I was happy to see: connecting, hands-on, variety,
challenge, critical thinking, acting out, visual aids, and positive attitude. These are all really good words. A
few of you mentioned the word "experiences" and I love seeing that! In social studies we have got to be
focused on creating experiences for our students. Our book "Teach Like a Pirate" will help us do just that.
A few of you talked about a question that you will get at some point, guaranteed. And that is the "Why?"
question. Students need to know why they have to learn something, why it matters (especially when they
get older). Being able to give them a reason to "why" they have to do/learn something is key. The answer
will depend on the situation you are in. I would answer that question this way: if a student asked me why
they had to learn about mummification, I would simply explain to them that we are learning how to think,
problem solve, write, read, connect because all of those things will make you a successful person in the
future. Mummification is simply the topic we are using to work on those skills.
I love how some of you mentioned passion. Hopefully as a teacher, you are passionate about kids (if not,
might want to consider switching your major). Being passionate about what you teach is also important.
However, nobody is passionate about EVERYTHING they teach. I am passionate about Greek Mythology
and the Medieval Times, but not ancient India. So what did I do? I would ramp of the enthusiasm for that
unit. Passion can not be faked, but enthusiasm can. Some of you that want to be elementary teachers
might not be too passionate about social studies. However, you may find yourself teaching social studies,
so ramp up the enthusiasm!
I found it interesting that so many of you mentioned content knowledge. A lot of you said that you had to
really know the content in order to be able to teach it well. Though I agree with needing to know what you
are teaching, it is impossible to know everything about the content you are teaching, especially if it is
social studies. It's okay for you to say, "I don't know" when a student asks you a question. We are all
human, not Google Robots. It's not the end of the world to admit to a student you don't know the answer
to a question. Turn it into a positive situation, "Well, I don't know. Let's go find the answer together." Also
keep in mind that you are teaching young kids so you do not need to be a PH.D. level scholar in American
History to know what you need to know. The challenge is not knowing the content, it is making it
engaging, relevant, and being able to teach it in a "kid friendly language." Content is not king, however,
the more you understand the content, the easier it is to come up with creative lesson ideas. There is also
the issue of content vs. skill. I believe it is our job of social studies teachers to not only teach content but
to teach skills. Teaching our students HOW to read with reading strategies helps them be able to digest
and comprehend the material better. Teaching our students how to make claims and support those claims
with evidence helps them be able to tackle social studies content more effectively. Teaching our students to

be able to sequence, or find the main idea, or the theme, or the point of view all helps them learn more
effectively, in any content area.

Why I want to be a Teacher (group

consensus)
We have a tremendous variety in this class! It is exciting to get to work with such an interesting group.
With 31 students in this class (I only had 13 last semester), it will be a challenge trying to get to know all
of you through this online format. Some of you are married, some are engaged, some have children, some
do not. Some play sports, some love the outdoors, some love animals, some are traditional college age
students, some are non-traditional (which I think is great you are going back to school!), some live in
Madison, and some do not, some go to DSU, and some do not. A lot of you have jobs, a lot of you have
parents that were teachers, a lot of you have siblings and a lot of you are female (last semester: 13
females 0 males. At least there's a few males this semester!). So a big take away for me was the variety of
the participants of this class.
Another big take away for me is what I heard when I listened to you share why you want to be a teacher.
First, here is what I did NOT hear as far as why you want to be a teacher: summer vacation! Christmas
break! High salary! Don't have to work too hard! Easy paycheck! Only have to work 9 months per year! So
good job not giving those as the reasons. Let's be honest, everybody loves summer vacation. It is a nice
perk of the job, but we earn that summer vacation! We put in 12 months of work (if not more) into those
nine months so it's okay to enjoy summer. What I heard from you about why you want to be a teacher
inspires me. It gets me excited to be working with you this semester. It gets me motivated to provide
opportunities for you to grow as a teacher and prepare yourself to do exactly what you said. Here's what I
heard: I want to make a difference. I want to help students. I want to be there for those 'aha' moments. I
want to be a role model. I want to teach because my mom was a teacher and I saw the amazing impact
she had on her students. I want to be someone students can look up to. I want to be the teacher that
makes school fun. I want to help students grow and reach their potential. I want to be a mentor and a role
model.
When I was in your shoes 10 years ago, I probably would have answered the question this way: I want to
be a teacher because I love history and enjoy working with kids. Pretty standard answer. Nothing wrong
with that. But as I started teaching, I learned just how much of an impact we can have on our students by
the relationship and rapport we establish with them. We have such an amazing opportunity to make an
impact in people lives! We are in the people business. Our job is affecting lives. Just think about it: we
have kids everyday for 9 months. That is a lot of time! And if we use that time, we can make a
tremendous difference in their lives. You all gave great reasons for why you want to be a teacher. Now, just
don't forget those reasons as the years tick by and you get further and further into your career. Always
remember why you want to be a teacher. It's a noble calling. It's the noblest of callings.

What do Principles look for in a Social

Studies Teacher
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6.

The things I look for in a teacher at our Middle School are the same regardless of the discipline you are
teaching.
A person who is a self-starter with confidence, but not arrogance. (Is always ready to learn
something new.
Someone who is friendly and is able to work well with this age of students.
Someone who has great classroom management skills.
A teacher who is able to collaborate with other people in the department.
A leader!
Good background knowledge in the area of Social Studies. (This can always be something that can
be built on with time.)

I would be looking for an individual that would make social studies come alive. Incorporating projects,
hands on learning and cross-curriculum collaboration would be a must for anyone filling a social studies
position.
Whenever I hire, regardless of the position, I look for someone that can relate to their

students. If you can build a good relationship then it is much easier to teach and maintain
classroom control.
After that, I look for someone with good command of the subject they are going to teach
geography or American History. I always appreciate the people that if they do not know
the answer at least have an awareness of the resources they can use. A willingness to
learn and improve is a great quality!
We always appreciate candidates that are willing to assist with extra-curricular activities
also!
I

think first and foremost I am looking for a teacher that puts their students first. There are
times that when a directive comes down from the top; some teachers first thought is, How
does this affect me? I want those teachers whose first thought is, How does this affect my
students.
I want a teacher that isnt a clock watcher. You know those kind of teachers that come in early
and are not afraid to stay late for the betterment of their children; and dont expect to get paid
extra for it. They do the extras/go above and beyond the call of dutyhelp out at
extracurricular activities.
I want teachers that are involved in extracurricular activities. Those teachers usually seem to
understand the big picture better. They dont complain about the little things. Students usually
get to know these teachers a little bit better; which leads to a better understanding between
teacher and studentbetter communication between teacher-studentteacher-parent. Good
communication is the key to a smooth running classroom (parents/guardians are a part of the
classroom).
Of course knowledge of social studies goes without saying. Id like to have a teacher that can
make social studies fun. Make social studies meaningful and relevant to the students
today.teach history so no one will repeat it.
MAKE STUDENTS CARE ABOUT THEIR COUNTRY, STATE, CITY, TOWN,
COMMUNITY, SOCIETY, ETC
Become a good citizen!
At the elementary level I do not hire mainly for Social Studies since at the elementary

level a teacher is responsible to teach all subject areas.

What I do look for during an interview are:
1.
Personality How do they present themselves during the interview.
2.

How they answer the questions. Do they just answer the question or do they offer

more.
3.
Professionalism
4.

Questions they ask at the end of the interview

5.

Humor

6.
How they would handle their classroom management. If they have strong
management in place the teaching will be there. Poor management hinders the learning
environment.

Advice from a veteran Social Studies Teacher

Make it a priority and not an afterthought in your curriculum. Keep up to date on the current research. My
best example of this is when I ask students how many teachers have told them that Columbus proved the
world round, or that people thought the Earth was flat and that Columbus's sailors were scared that they
would fall off the edge. This was just a story that was made up in the early 1800's and yet many people
are still teaching it today because most of my students enter class believing it.
Make it a priority to know about social studies and make it a priority to help you students to come out with
the correct knowledge.
The one thing I've learned over my years of teaching Social Studies is not to assume the kids will enter
your classroom with a lot of background/surface knowledge on the subject matter. In the movement to
focus on test scores, many elementary schools/teachers are just sort of "throwing Social Studies in"
sparingly to free up more time to spend on Language Arts and Math. For example, you will have some kids
who have not heard of the equator or peninsula and some who will know where most of the countries in
the world are! So have an open mind and make it fun!

Being passionate is vital when teaching social studies. It is

important to create a learning environment that fully
engages students in a variety of lessons

"keep it FUN with projects that the students can investigate and come up with solutions. I think they call it
project based learning or something like that. Right now I would have the students look up bills from
congress and have them pick a bill and talk about it. National History Day (site on the internet) is a
wonderful activity. Make sure the students are engaged in the learning and not just memorizing the
material. Understanding history is much better than memorizing it. If you have fun with it the students
will.
I think the most important thing is to make history interesting and find connections to students so they
are engaged. It is a very important subject because it connects where we are now with the past and also
gives clues to what the future will look like. It is really important to know what you are teaching (content
mastery), and also to know who you are teaching. Content mastery without understanding your audience
will lead to dry and boring teaching, but content mastery and a good working knowledge of your students
and their background will enable you to teach them where we've been, why were are here, and what might
happen in the future! Get students engaged in thinking about the past and how it relates to the future. I
found using questions like "What if....." are really important. Utilize videos, humor, hand-on projects,
family research/connections, current events, historical movies and real-life applications to seek to engage
your students! It is more important to get students thinking than to have them learn dates and location
facts that they can look up on Google!