9 ways to be certain students will continue hating history.

1. Pick boring, hard, thick, and expensive textbooks that neither you, nor your students have any intention of ever reading.

2. Never give students an opportunity to discuss their own feelings and opinions about course topics.

3. Teach from one and only one perspective and be sure to lecture at a rate of 200 words per minute, every period.

4. Tell students at least once per period that “history is hard.”

5. Remind students at least once per period that you are the fountain of knowledge.

6. Never give students guidance about what is expected on assignments.

7. Never stray off topic.

8. Tell students that history is static, unchanging, and always right.

9. Insist students abandon myths by which they have lived.
(Updated 3/4/14, see this blog post of mine for more elaboration on this point)

Be sure to also see: 9 ways to be certain students will begin loving history.

Please be sure and check out my other articles published here and Inside Higher Ed. I have articles about teaching aimed at students and professors generally and more specifically for those in History or Student Success courses.


Categories: Thoughts and Perspectives


13 replies

  1. Another: Make them think they aren’t advanced enough for archival research (instead of engaging them with that from beginning)


  2. Another one (related to #3): Only focus on dates and statistics.


  3. This is so awesome! Yeah! It’s so awesome when teachers give you enough freedom to choose a topic that actually interests you rather then making you stick with something you consider dull. I feel like so many more people would end up loving history if they just explored topics that interested them. Like you said, EVERYTHING is history.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. How about engaging them with more of the sociological aspects (since that is something you also have experience with) additionally to learning about events? Learn about the culture, as well: music, food, lifestyle, the people, etc. of the period and/or region studied, as one unit.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Perhaps in the lower grades?



  1. 9 ways to be certain students will begin loving history. « Andrew Joseph Pegoda, A.B.D.
  2. The Nature of History and the History of History « Andrew Joseph Pegoda, A.B.D.
  3. 21 Essential Concepts for Succeeding in Introductory U.S. History | Andrew Joseph Pegoda, A.B.D.
%d bloggers like this: