Teacher of the Month

Mr. Page was nominated to be the teacher of the month for November! He was asked five questions, and here are his responses:

1. What made you want to become a history teacher?

• “There were several factors that made me want to become a history teacher. One of them was my passion for history and wanting to talk about history and share my knowledge. Another factor was that I needed a career plan, and a teacher was something I did not want to do initially, so it became a backup plan, especially if I did not get accepted into graduate school. I was accepted in graduate school and afterwards still needed a job. I loved the experience of student-teaching when I did it and making an impact for those students that I decided to continue doing something I know I liked. I have not stopped teaching since.”

2. What type of history are you most interested in?

• “This is a question that is very difficult for me to answer. I have an interest in all types of history. History is intertwined through the many points of view of those from the past. Usually, I have moments where I do a lot of research on a particular topic. But if I had to choose, it has always been local history of a place I am visiting as there are always some interesting stories that are not explored in a classroom or easily searched online.”

3. What’s it like teaching students through a computer screen?

• “I enjoy being a virtual teacher. Teaching through a computer screen has many challenges, but perks as well. Getting to use visual constantly to keep student attention is fun as no year is the same because of what’s popular for that year. I am set up at a desk looking through my screen teaching like other teachers. It’s pretty boring if I try to describe the physical of what it looks like, but the only difference is everything is more leaned towards online. Assignments are completed and submitted online (this year I get to change that quite a bit to include assignments be done in person due to this setup at the school; which has been different in other places). I broadcast through Google Meets into the classroom and every day is live. There’s no pre-recorded video and I can answer questions that my students have in real time.”

4. Outside of history, what are other interests you have?

• “My other interests besides history are traveling, playing video games, and fishing. During the weekends after finishing weekly lesson plans, grading assignments, and submitting my own homework I enjoy playing video games. I love fishing during the season. It is a great way to enjoy nature. I also love to travel, I try to travel as much as possible as there is always something new to do elsewhere and new things to learn. Travelling is something that interests me because it takes away from being in the same location for very long and it’s nice to explore new things and explore different cultures and see how others live.”

5. You mentioned that you’re in school for your PhD, what has your college experience been like so far, and do you have any advice to any seniors who may be interested in going to college after graduation?

• “My college experience has been great so far. I never thought I would get this far into my education until I was halfway done with my undergraduate degree (Bachelor’s). At first, I did not want to go to college. Going to university was something I refused to do at first. But that was because I had not realized I could go to school and get a degree in history. I found this out much later in my high school years. (Glad I went as I had a lot of fun studying what I loved.) However, getting there was an issue as my family and I did not know anything about going to college. It involved a lot of research and we did not know where or how to begin. My high school wanted us to succeed, but they assumed that everyone knew what questions to ask. I did not know what questions to ask. I was lost and knew nothing. I completed my Bachelor’s and Master’s in person. I attended two different schools since my undergraduate school did not have a master’s program in history, so I went to another school in Missouri for my master’s. My college experience was amazing and I have a lot of awesome memories. Going to college, I was able to explore who I was and try new things that I would not have thought of trying before, like many other college students with a sense of freedom. I got to try new experiences like a lot of other college students. For my PhD program. It’s a little less exciting. I take those courses online, which is fine. The university challenges me and lets me explore new perspectives, which is great. My advice for any senior or any student who is interested in going to college is think about the career field you want to go into or think about your passions. Just about anything can be a degree and lead to an amazing career, especially if you enjoy it. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help with anything you are unsure of. There is a lot of new information to take in when applying to college. Even if you are not sure where to begin, ask a teacher or the counseling center and explain that you are not sure how to begin and ask them to explain as much as they can. I am sure they will be happy to assist. I know I am always happy to assist students in the right direction when they are thinking about college, but are not quite sure where to go or what questions to ask.

Thank you Mr. Page for taking the time to answer my questions!