How Do We Teach History to Today’s Kids?

When I was in school, history was taught through books and lectures. I learned names, dates, places, and events, but now, many years later, those details escape me. As we were preparing for our recent travels with our grandsons, I realized how little I actually knew aside from the basic facts. I realized that visiting those places as part of our travels with our grandsons this summer would be as much a learning experience for me as it was for them. It was eye- and mind-opening to walk the Freedom Trail, to learn more about the Salem Witch Trials, to interact with content at the various museums, or to stand on the grounds of the Gettysburg battlefields. I hope that Jace and Jayden will remember their travels when they continue to learn in school about the history of our country.

Social studies, like science, math, and language arts, is essential in a school’s curriculum. (So are the arts and physical education.) Social studies standards for our youngest students focus on a sense of self, then on their family and their community and working outward to their state, nation, and then the world. Within social studies, though, the National Council for Social Studies framework organizes the standards into ten themes such as Culture, Global Connections, and Civic Ideals and Practices. It can be overwhelming to find the time to address these standards especially for an elementary teacher with many conflicting priorities during the day.

Oftentimes, as well, we view history through one set of lens. Teaching history is complicated. There is more than one perspective to issues, and we don’t know how the events impacted the people who were living during that period of time. Sharing this slide show (thanks, Esther!) and discussing each slide helped Jace and Jayden to realize that not all colonists wanted to fight the British. They also realized the sacrifices and impact of war on people, ordinary families whose lives were suddenly disrupted by events over which they had no control, people like the Shriver family who lived in Gettysburg or family members who fought on opposite sides during the Civil War.

We cannot change history; it is in the past. We can educate ourselves and learn what others went through at the time by visiting museums, reading books, or watching videos, but we cannot experience what the people involved went through. When we discuss history, we need to ask questions and research to find answers, and we need to discuss why the events unfolded as they did. We need to understand the impact of events on the people who were affected and discuss how those events impact us today.

And we must vow to learn from the mistakes of our past. Unfortunately, I am not confident that we have done so. There was a wall at Salem Witch Museum that stated “Fear + Trigger = Scapegoat.” How many examples can we think of from our country’s history that had its beginnings in fear? Is it still happening today? Why is it important to not repeat our mistakes from the past?

I know that our recent travel experiences to Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. have made me think much more deeply about our country’s history. I realize that if our forefathers had not had the courage to break away from Britain and fight to create a new nation, our own history would be much different than it is today. That’s what I want Jace and Jayden to realize.

Experiencing History

When we decided to take our grandsons Jace and Jayden on a trip to experience history, I wasn’t sure how it would go. I spoke with a travel consultant from Travel Happy, and she did the research regarding where to stay as well as suggestions of places to visit in Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.  I had never used a travel consultant before, so this was a new experience; I would definitely do it again! She made reservations at the hotels we would stay at, and all of them were in close proximity to walk or to use public transportation or Uber.

As I mentioned in previous blogs, my husband Randy is a history buff so this Revolutionary Civil War Tour was an attempt to have our grandsons experience history and to gain a better understanding about our country. They are still young - Jace just turned 12 and Jayden will be 10 later this summer - so we didn’t know what they had already learned in school since we live in different states. Now that the historical portion of the tour is over, I can say that I am pleased that Jace and Jayden have truly experienced history. I don’t expect that they will remember all the details of what they learned, but through all the “field trips” we took, they are better able to communicate big ideas. They understand the sacrifice it took to fight the British and to form a new nation. They understand that our founding fathers had to come to a common understanding about the ideas that our country would be founded on. They walked the battlefields of Gettysburg and realized that America came very close to becoming two nations instead of one. They understand the important role that Congress plays in making laws that impact all of the people of our country. When I asked Jace and Jayden separately about who they felt was the greatest leader they learned about on this RCW Tour, they each immediately answered, “Abraham Lincoln” because he freed the slaves and was successful in keeping our country together.

I think I was most proud of how attentive Jace and Jayden were throughout the tours even though there were many days when we were out all day. Never once did they say they were bored, and they answered respectfully when adults asked them questions. Of course, there was the time the park ranger asked Jayden what his favorite part of school was, and his response was “Recess!” I am sure he was just being honest. On the last day when we were out all day touring several national memorials, a lady took the time to go up to Jace and Jayden at the end of the tour to compliment them on their respectful and attentive behavior.

We are now in Orlando; since we were already on the East Coast, how could we not stop here to enjoy some fun? I believe that Jace and Jayden earned this “reward” to relax after experiencing history for eleven days. I also learned so much and gained new understandings about the events and people that are so crucial to the understanding of what makes our country great. Hopefully, we will all have more opportunities to experience history in the future.

 Jace and Jayden learned how a civilian family was impacted when 90,000 Union soldiers and 70,000 Confederate soldiers overran the town of Gettysburg with a population of 2,400 people. 

 They got to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and learned how the Union Army took advantage of their position on Little Round Top to win the decisive battle that ultimately determined the outcome of the Civil War.

Jace and Jayden stand by the statue of who they consider to be the greatest President of our country. 

What an Experience so Far!

Well, my intention to have Jace and Jayden keep a travel journal went down the drain. I think I was treating this like an educational opportunity, getting them to practice thinking and writing skills. However, I didn’t want to nag them, and we were doing a lot of reflecting after each of our trips. We have been to Boston, Philadelphia, and half of our Washington D.C. travels so far. Tonight we discussed their reflections. Here are some of their thoughts:

• So far in Washington D.C., walking up to the top of the Capitol was the most amazing experience for Jace and Jayden. They learned that it took lots of effort and skill to be able to build, work, and do the artwork on the dome. Jayden shared that he was petrified of falling, but going up the 300 stairs and finishing the trip all the way up and down helped him with his fear of heights. Jayden was happy that his brother gave him confidence to finish and to take the stairs on. That helped him a lot. Jace was excited to make it all the way to the top and to see the amazing view of Washington D.C. and buildings like the Washington Monument and the Supreme Court. Jace was wondering how the workers felt to be working on and fixing the dome, standing on such a tiny ledge! He probably wouldn’t want to do that job!
• Both boys are respectful of the patriots who risked their lives so people in America could have less dangerous and greater lives where they could do what they liked without being afraid.  If Jace and Jayden had been living back then, it might have been a difficult decision on how much to get involved with the patriots. They feel that it was unfair for the King to rule over America when he was so far away in England.  Walking on the Freedom Trail and being in Independence Hall made Jace and Jayden realize that they are grateful for the soldiers who fought for the 13 colonies against the British because we would not be living in our country today if they had not done so.
• Jace and Jayden learned that Congress makes laws that are good for the country and they should be working together to get the job done. Right now according to the news, they are fighting each other and not getting things done for our country. Jace knew about the three branches of government, and that no one has complete power over the U.S. So they feel that Congress should be working together for the people and the President should be doing so, too.

Learning about those who fought to form our country has been an eye-opening experience for Jace and Jayden. They are learning about history, government, and famous people like George Washington, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John F. Kennedy who have helped America become a better place for everyone including them and all of their friends and family. Tomorrow, the boys will learn about Abraham Lincoln who was the President who ended slavery and kept our country together. They are excited; Abraham Lincoln is one of their heroes, and they read books about him. 

Choosing Experiences Over Things

I recently read a blog, “7 Reasons Why Spending Money on Experiences Makes Us Happier than Buying Stuff,”  It’s something I never thought about before, but it certainly makes sense.  Coincidentally, when Randy and I retired, we decided to take a trip with our son and grandsons, and that trip is almost here!

Justin and the boys don’t live in Hawaii; they moved to Las Vegas about 8 years ago, so we only see them about 3 times a year. It is hard; I know we are missing out on so many of their activities. Phone calls, FaceTime, or texts are nice but being there would definitely be nicer. We thought about different places we could go, and we decided that Jace and Jayden should experience our country first before traveling to a foreign country.

Randy named our trip the RCW Tour - Revolutionary Civil War Tour. He is a history buff and wants the boys to learn about our country’s history and government, so we decided to visit Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington DC traveling by Amtrak between the cities. Once an educator, always an educator so I already informed the boys that they will be keeping a reflective journal. We will have discussions each day and allow Jace and Jayden time to share their learnings and memories in their journal. They’ve decided to create a slide show so they can include photos they plan to take with their phones. It is our hope that after this trip, our grandsons will be more aware of our country’s history and to be proud to live in the USA.

Since we will be on the East Coast, we will spend a few days in Orlando. I’m sure Jace and Jayden will love this part of the trip! We’ll spend two days at Disney World and one day at Universal Studios before heading back to Las Vegas.

We will be making memories. I cannot wait!

I Did It 😊

It’s almost a year since I retired back on June 30, 2018. At the time, I didn’t have any goals for myself except to enjoy this new phase of my life. Yes, I planned to do some cleaning up around the house, go to the gym more regularly, spend more time with the family, go on long walks with our dog, and relax. I did all that.

I also wrote a book. 😊

The book is titled Leading with Aloha: From the Pineapple Fields to the Principal’s Office and it shares how my life as a kid growing up in a pineapple plantation village as well as my experiences as a teacher, a wife, and a parent influenced my core values and beliefs which then impacted how I led our school, Daniel K. Inouye Elementary, for over fifteen wonderful and memorable years.

I was thinking about writing a book before I retired even though I didn’t have a firm grasp on what I would write about. My book evolved after receiving valuable feedback from others. Eventually, though, the final manuscript was mine - my experiences, my ideas, my book.

I knew that I wanted to go with a local publisher so I met with George from Legacy Isle Publishing.  I liked that their company publishes “Hawai`i’s stories” and that they would provide guidance and support through the process. George shared that they hadn’t published a book by an educator before; that gave me the motivation to continue the painstaking process of revising and editing my manuscript.

I learned a lot, not just about the process, but about myself. I learned that I can persevere on a project that took nearly a year and many drafts and revisions to complete. Writing a book takes commitment and determination, and there were times when I wondered if I should/could continue. I’m glad I didn’t give up. It was difficult for me to ask others to read my early drafts and to provide me with feedback because I knew that everyone has commitments and things to do. I am grateful that I took that step out of my comfort zone because the comments and questions I received really helped me to hone in on why I chose to write a book. Additionally, so often, we in the education world assume that the general public knows what we are talking about when we use acronyms or educational phrases. My husband Randy used to tell his Public Utilities Commission staff: explain it to me like you’re talking to the person at the bus stop. He reminded me that non-educators might not be familiar with “educalese” so I needed to explain the terminology that might not be familiar to readers.

The book is now at the printer and is available for preorder now. It will be available at bookstores in early July. The next step for me is promoting the book; I know this is a necessary part of being an author. This blog post is the first step in sharing about my book, Leading with Aloha, and I’ve created a website to share a bit more about my background and about my first book. There will be a book-signing later this summer at Barnes & Noble, Ala Moana Center, and hopefully, there will be other opportunities for me to connect with the public to share my book.

This is an exciting time for my family and me. I never thought that I’d add “author” to my name, but now that my first book is being published, I am an author. Who knows? Maybe I’ll write another book in the future.

The Difference a Teacher Makes

This past Friday was the 100th birthday of a special lady whom I had the privilege to meet last year at our family reunion in San Jose. Kathleen Lloyd is the mother of a cousin’s husband, and she and other family members who live in the area joined our Amemiya clan to share stories and make new memories. When I was introduced to Kathleen, she shared that she had been Facebook friends with our son Jarand who had recently passed away. I immediately invited Kathleen to be my friend on Facebook. She accepted. 😊

I was scrolling through my FB feed on Friday and saw this post from Carol Conway. It resonated with me; I wasn’t aware that Kathleen had been a teacher in her younger days. I read that post several times and knew that I wanted to share it. I messaged Carol, and she agreed to let me use her post in my blog. Thanks, Carol! 👍 Here it is:

Do you remember 5th grade?  For me, it was 1973-74, my father had died the year before and my mom, I'm sure, was struggling to keep us in our Mill Valley home.  (She succeeded - thanks Mom!)

My fifth grade teacher celebrated her 100th birthday today, (and she's on Facebook!) so I tried to pry a few memories from the dark recesses of my creaky brain.  

I remember the  garden that Mrs Lloyd started on our school grounds.  She taught us about growing food in unyielding soil.   I remember learning how to do batik and making a lovely Douglas Iris on a purple background, which I turned in to a pillow.  I remember going to Cronkhite beach to gather pebbles to make mosaics, and finding a single carnelian which I used to make the eye of the snail I created.

In 5th grade I remember competing with Geoff Barnard for the highest level in SRA - and winning.   Mrs. Lloyd,  I can picture the classroom, the tall windows facing south, and you sitting in front with an open book, looking out at us between paragraphs.  I loved being read to - I have no surviving memories of what you were reading, but it was a quiet time for me when my world was tumbly, and I enjoyed it.

Mrs. Lloyd, I hope that you had a birthday full of the things and the people that you love.  I hope that you know that your students felt loved and protected in your class, and that you made a difference.  And I know that I speak for my brothers as well - David before me, Jeff after - you mattered to us.

Happy Birthday!

As I read and re-read this tribute to a beautiful teacher, I had a few aha's. First, 1973-1974 was my first year of teaching. I was just getting started in my career while Mrs. Lloyd was making lasting memories with her students. The second thing I noticed was that Carol remembers things like gardening and art and field trips. There's nothing in there about test scores or academics. (Hmm. . . what will students remember about their teachers 45 years from now?) Carol mentions SRA levels, something I remember from my 7th grade Reading class where, like her, I quietly competed to get to the highest level before anyone else. (Someone beat me; I was second, but once I was done, I got to read whatever I wanted to in that class.) Lastly, Carol's recollection of being read to was so touching. Mrs. Lloyd was reading aloud to her students in the fifth grade, and Carol cherished and needed that quiet time when her world was "tumbly." (In today's classrooms, read-aloud time is often eliminated as teachers rush to "cover" the curriculum, but students may need that time to settle their "tumbly" world.)

This lovely post spoke volumes about the positive impact of a teacher on a student, one who was going through emotional challenges. 45 years later, this student shared these fond memories, and I am sure Mrs. Lloyd was touched. Henry Adams said it best: "A teacher affects eternity. He can never tell where his influence ends." 

Thank you, Carol, for sharing your memories of your fifth grade teacher on Facebook! What a gift to all of us!

This was a photo taken at our family reunion in 2018.

Mrs. Lloyd is somewhat hidden in this photo, but she is there in the second row from the back.

Good Job, Dr. Kishimoto!

I may be retired, but once an educator, always an educator.

It's that time of the year when Honolulu Magazine publishes their annual public school grades. I haven't seen this year's issue yet, but I did read an article by current Superintendent Christina Kishimoto, and I applaud her for sharing her thoughts in "Grade everybody or grade no one, but be fair to public schools." Finally, someone is speaking up about the injustice of grading public schools using test scores as the measure of success.

Four years ago, I wrote this blog titled, "Grading Our Public Schools." As the principal of our school, I was proud of our teachers and our students. I knew that everyone was invested in providing our students with an education that would help our students to navigate their world.

Our public schools are vastly different from private schools; I have worked in Title I schools, military-impacted schools, and an upper-middle income school. I also worked for several summers at a private school. We cannot compare the challenges that each public school faces. Using performance data only to grade schools is demeaning to all the staff at schools who are working so hard to show their students that they care and who encourage them to make the most of their opportunities. Dr. Kishimoto mentions a high school that is showing growth and despite their geographical isolation, has qualified for the FIRST Robotics world championship. Additionally, students at this school are taking dual college and high school credits in record numbers. Yet, they are graded an "F" in the ratings by Honolulu Magazine. I know that when schools are not recognized for their growth, their innovative ideas to engage students, or their positive school culture, it can be demoralizing.

Educators are optimists; we believe in our students. We want the best for them because we know that we are preparing them for their future. I suggest that Honolulu Magazine devote a section in each issue to focus on great things going on in our public schools. I also believe that if more people spent time volunteering in public schools, they would see how each school is different and how each one is addressing the needs of their students in creative, engaging, and empowering ways. We need the public to be more involved in our schools; maybe then, the perception will change.