For me, one of the most interesting parts of being a history teacher is thinking about how we think about the past-- and how we talk about it with students. Do we assign blame? Do we feel guilt? Who do we think of as the bystanders, perpetrators, victims, and resisters? Have the answers to these questions changed over time? I think history teachers have a power and responsibility that is unrecognized by most of society (and often themselves) when it comes to shaping the collective memory of society through our interactions with students.
Related to this, one simple but powerful idea I've learned from Michael is to have students view museums with multiple mindsets and write reflections on their experience. He thinks of this as an important skill students should take from his history class and has done many variations on it with students. Observing his year 13 class, I saw him model what a good reflection looks like sharing his own writing about his experience visiting the 9/11 Museum in New York City. He described what he learned, how he felt as he explored the museum, what he was observing in others, and what questions he had about the choices the creators of the museum had made. Then his students went on to do a similar activity when they visited a Gallilpoli exhibit at Te Papa (the national museum).
After talking through this lesson with him and doing some brainstorming together, I came up with a template I'd like to use with students in the future. It starts with introducing them to the three "museum mindsets" I'd like them to use at a museum (or historical site), with space for them to take notes on each:
Related to this, one simple but powerful idea I've learned from Michael is to have students view museums with multiple mindsets and write reflections on their experience. He thinks of this as an important skill students should take from his history class and has done many variations on it with students. Observing his year 13 class, I saw him model what a good reflection looks like sharing his own writing about his experience visiting the 9/11 Museum in New York City. He described what he learned, how he felt as he explored the museum, what he was observing in others, and what questions he had about the choices the creators of the museum had made. Then his students went on to do a similar activity when they visited a Gallilpoli exhibit at Te Papa (the national museum).
After talking through this lesson with him and doing some brainstorming together, I came up with a template I'd like to use with students in the future. It starts with introducing them to the three "museum mindsets" I'd like them to use at a museum (or historical site), with space for them to take notes on each:
After introducing the concepts, I left space for students to answer some questions and do some thinking on their own, which I'd follow with class discussion:
Finally, the template includes instructions and questions I could use for any museum (or adapted for a historical site). Here's what's on it so far:
Assignment
After our visit today you will be asked to write a reflection. Use some of these questions to help guide your thinking during the trip and in your reflection.
Historical Mindset
Empathic Mindset
Critical Mindset
- What is the danger of leaving out one of these mindsets?
- On average, which of these mindsets do you think it is easiest for a visitor to have? Why?
- Which of these mindsets is hardest for you to practice at a museum or memorial? Why?
- What is the danger of leaving out some of these mindsets?
Finally, the template includes instructions and questions I could use for any museum (or adapted for a historical site). Here's what's on it so far:
Assignment
After our visit today you will be asked to write a reflection. Use some of these questions to help guide your thinking during the trip and in your reflection.
Historical Mindset
- What were the main events illustrated?
- What were the causes and consequences of these events?
- What is significant about these events?
- What were the different perspectives presented?
- What types of artifacts were shared as evidence?
Empathic Mindset
- What was it like for the people who experienced these events?
- How does this museum/memorial influence or change my feelings about the events?
- Are there guests at the museum who went through this themselves? What is this museum experience like for them?
Critical Mindset
- Whose stories were highlighted in this museum? Whose stories were left out? Why would this be the case? What does that tell me?
- Was the space well-kept? Does it seem like there is a lot of money invested in this place? What does that tell me?
- How does my own identity influence how I experienced the museum?