This week I participated in my third Teach American History (TAH) summer seminar and it was nothing short of amazing!  Every day a new presenter who is at the top of their field came in to talk with teachers in depth about a different topic.  The theme for this year was foreign policy.  I left every day mentally exhausted as the amount of information that was presented seemed to be more than I remember learning in any of my college courses as an undergrad (maybe I have just matured a little).  For more information and links to the professors who presented check out the wiki for the seminar here: http://tahforeignpolicy09.wikispaces.com/

This seminar was different because it was not about how to teach rather it was about the content that we can take back to our students and teach as we know best.  We were challenged to think differently about history and were presented with incredible depth.  What amazed me in addition to the depth of the presentations was that each presenter rarely referred to a set of notes- they seemed to talk from what they remember and could effectively answer most questions that were asked without hesitation.

The week was filled with free food, great conversations, tons of resources to take home and massive amounts of knowledge!  I came home each day exhausted  – but it was a good exhaustion!

I cannot thank enough the individuals that organized this massive undertaking:

Paul Benson @ZenAtticus

Rick Walters

Carol Shick

Rick Bates @MyHammock

The WSTCSS and the TAH grant have truly helped me to make new connections and improve my teaching in ways that I have never imagined!  Thanks!