Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society
History Quarterly Digital Archives


Source: April 1990 Volume 28 Number 2, Pages 45–49


Teachable Moments

Beverly Sheppard

Page 45

My position at the Chester County Historical Society working with both school children and adults -- reminds me daily that museum education is filled with what a colleague refers to as "teachable moments". They are those all-too-rare occasions of romantic encounter with new and exciting ideas. The youngsters I work with feed my days with humor and delight and reward me with insights that are fresh, moving and profound. I, in turn, have a deep responsibility to build on each discovery, to move from the moment to a lasting understanding.

There is a special magic in museums. We have "the real stuff", the actual three-dimensional, palpable things of another time and place. How we use this magic to build on the romance of discovery is the key to our effectiveness as places of learning. We have a very important responsibility: to teach the essential lesson that history has shaped who we are. If we ignore it, we impoverish ourselves. If we fail to understand the relationship between the past and the present we simply live on the surface of things.

It is not just the museum, however, that has this responsibility to educate. The local historical society, with the knowledge and expertise it has accumulated, likewise has a remarkable potential for enriching a community's self-understanding and for linking its future with a clear sense of its unique heritage.

Page 46

While researching census records in preparation for a new exhibit at the Chester County Historical Society in conjunction with the bicentennial of the first Census in 1790 I came across three facts that illustrate the importance of a regional historical society in creating a climate for learning and sharing. Think about each of them, and consider how your historical society can take advantage of the educational components of this data.

According to United States census data

1. Chester County is one of the fastest growing counties in Pennsylvania. Its phenomenal growth represents intensive immigration.

2. In the 1980s the over-65 age group became the fastest growing age group in the county.

3. Immigration into the county has created a sharp rise in the number of school-aged children.

What are the implications of these three facts?

First, the tremendous increases in the population in recent years, which contrast sharply with the pattern of the first half of this century when the population growth was fairly even and gradual, have placed community identity at risk. The county's sense of history is fragile at best. Our historical societies are among the most essential caretakers of our regional history.

Second, a healthy older population creates an imperative for opportunities for adult education. This able group must also be offered significant opportunities to contribute to the community; historical societies canand should incorporate the essential memories and vitality of our senior population.

And third, in view of the number of new families in the area, reports warn, we are bringing up new generations without historical memory. An historical society can use its unique educational tools to breathe life into the teaching of history to today's students.

Clearly, historical societies have a profound responsibility to reach out and to teach. We are the caretakers of the information and artifacts we have gathered about the past, and we are expected to share this precious commodity of knowledge. Our enthusiasm, our research, and our collections all offer alternatives to the way history is traditionally taught. Finding viable methods of sharing what we have is perhaps our biggest challenge.

Think of how most of us first studied history. Social studies was a subject taught between 9:30 and 10:15 in the morning. History could be left behind with the closing bell for the period. It was a subject taught with an emphasis on memorization -- dates, names, lists -- a time continuum punctuated by the names of great people and major events.

Page 47

That is not how I want to teach history. My interest is in creating an awareness of the history that exists within the fabric of our daily lives. This is a fabric of complex texture. It encompasses the big ... and the little. It includes men and women of fame ... and men and women of anonymity. Its events are those the whole world noticed ... and those that went unseen behind closed doors.

Traditionally, history has also been taught as one might teach mathematics, as a finite subject with right and wrong answers. The typical history class relied on textbook narratives, consisting of selected facts with no comment about the omissions.

Again, that is not how I want to teach history. I want to teach the past not as a closed, structured system of predetermined facts, but as a method of inquiry. I want to use concrete primary materials -- objects, documents, photographs, maps, the real things. I want students to know that we are constantly finding out new things that change our perception of the past, and let them know that there are many things we will never really know.

History as all-encompassing ... history as real things ... history as inquiry -- these are all definitions of history that we as historical societies are best prepared to teach. We have the tools for teaching about methods, processes and the joy of discovery. We have the ability to invite all ages within the community to become part of the fabric of past and present. Indeed, one of the greatest attractions of the local historical society is the opportunity to personalize the past.

Several years ago the television mini-series entitled Roots broke new ground. Americans were used to seeing epics, but this was an epic of a different sort. It was the powerful saga of one family -- common people-- over many generations. From slavery to modern times, Roots revealed the history of one family, at the same time illustrating the American past in vital new ways.

The mini-series reflected a shift by scholars to social history -- giving us history "from the bottom up", concentrating on the common man in daily life as our connection to the past. This personal approach helps us feel the stuff of life, and underscores the potential contribution of the local historical society.

Where are we going to find the common man? We find him in his community; in birth and death records; in diaries; in newspapers, advertisements and handbills. We find him in the Sears Roebuck and other mail-order catalogues; in deed records, in family Bibles; in the objects of everyday life. We see him in the configuration of Main Street; in the records of local churches, in verncaular architecture -- indeed, in the context of daily life. And that is the stuff of our collections and our research.

Page 48

Let us teach by making human connections, bringing history into the fabric of our daily lives. We have the tools to build outward from the personal experience. By understanding the common man, students can reach forward to the big ideas of history. Making these vital personal links could well be our most provocative educational goal.

Here are some specific ways in which history-minded individuals can have an impact on their community by educational activity. (It should be remembered , however, that they represent only a portion of the possibilities available to us.)

1. The beginning point is the establishment and continuing development of an organization of like-minded persons, dedicated to the preservation of collecting, interpreting, and sharing, such as your Tredyffrin Easttown History Club.

2. Research and publication are the second stage. Internal publications are starting points, but eventually we should find ways to "go public". Use the local media. Research topics with strong local interest: church histories, local landmarks, township anniversaries, street names, etc. Have published features like mystery photographs, "this day in history", the discovery of old documents things that bring the romance of history alive and in front of the public eye.

3. Develop an outreach service to schools. There is a tremendous need to bring community aspects into the classroom.

4. Participate, if possible, in curriculum planning teams. Call on local school administrators to explore possible roles for community input and to offer local expertise.

5. Develop and publish directories of educational resources in the community. Collaboration with similar organizations can be highly effective.

6. Encourage cross-generational opportunities. Begin in your own home. Share and talk with children, grandchildren and others. Have family and neighborhood outings and discuss how people celebrated holidays in the past. What were their favorite toys, their most beloved pets? Play "grandmother's attic". Select a treasure from the family's past; examine it and touch it, treating it as a special messenger from another day. Look around the community for outlets for such exploration -- store windows for an exhibit, library exhibits, etc.

7. Expose children to methods of historical research. Get them involved in History Day projects. Work with your local librarinan, Scout troop, or other youth organizations to teach the processes of inquiry in learning about the past.

Page 49

8. Look for networking possibilities. Scan the newspapers for institutions working on similar projects, and then join forces. Don't be shy about getting together.

9. Form a history reading club at the local library. Display books related to topics of current interest, new TV series that are history-related, etc.

10. Look for personal opportunities to preserve properly the past. Organize your photographs and keepsakes; label them and date them to create a readable record for future generations.

11. Keep the spirit of inquiry alive. Ask questions about places in the community. What building stood where only a fragment of a wall now remains? What was where a parking lot now exists? Why are the houses in one area brick but those in another area stone? Look at date stones, historic markers. Organize walking tours.

12. Help children learn how to look at objects.. Our media-glutted society has eclipsed direct experience for many children. Encourage them to examine objects from the past; to touch them, ask questions, guess at their uses. How were they made? by whom? from what materials? Demonstrate how objects can form a bridge to the past.

13. Work for meaningful preservation. Share your historical knowledge and expertise to enrich public awareness of preservation opportunities.

14. Brainstorm and mind-stretch. Add to these ideas with a group exploration of specific opportunities in your community. Look at youth programs, lecture series, holiday celebrations as opportunities to add an historical dimension.

15. Keep alive a sense of wonder. Learning, it is said, is a journey, not a destination. To take that journey we must build on human connections to the past, and share our insights with others.

History is often referred to as collective memory. It is a story told by many voices. We in historical societies have a special imperative to add our voices to the educational opportunities of our communities to be sure these many voices are heard.

 
 

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