Vital Stats
Name: Lori Dumerer
School Name: RL Turner High School
City, State: Carrollton, TX
Subjects Taught: AP US Government; AP Macroeconomics; AP US History; Pre-AP USH
Grades Taught: 12, 11
Years Teaching: 19+ Honors: Texas Council of Social Studies Secondary Teacher of the Year Award for 2002; a Humanities Teacher of the Year award in 2014 from Humanities Texas, an affiliate of National Endowment for the Humanities; Who’s Who in American Education and in the World

As a social studies educator with nearly 20 years of teaching experience, Lori Dumerer believes today’s political environment presents unique challenges to those who teach American History and U.S. Government.

“I have never before felt like I had to be so careful in explaining what is occurring in government,” says Dumerer, who teaches at a public high school in Carrollton, Texas. “I try to make public policy a focus of the course but I am discovering that articulation of a defined policy is not always clear.”

Fake News and the Federalist
Dumerer says one of her challenges is knowing how to answer students’ questions about fake news. “Students are asking why some politicians claim that news outlets are reporting ‘fake news’ when they can see the information is presented with evidence that can be verified,” she says. In response to students’ confusion about “inaccurate political messaging,” as Dumerer puts it, she has been lecturing and leading classroom discussion on the Federalist papers, particularly Nos. 47, 49 and 51.

“We have been examining how the system can keep extreme ideas in check,” she says. “To preserve democratic government, I have to subscribe to Madison’s ideas about factionalism laid out in Federalist No. 51.”

Dumerer believes it is critical to help students engage in civil discourse with one another. “My students must be able to respectfully disagree with another person who may hold opposing viewpoints,” she explains. “In my classes, students come to understand that they are free to express controversial views.”

Agreeing to Disagree
Before students’ first Socratic seminar, they practice using each other’s surname and acknowledging one another’s views, Dumerer say. “We practice respectfully disagreeing with one another and talk through how to diffuse confrontations in class,” she adds. “They must use evidence from documents to support their claims in speaking as well as in writing.”

To stir interest in U.S. government and civics, Dumerer looks for ‘trigger’ issues that she knows will spark student engagement. “I try very carefully to listen to what students’ concerns are and to incorporate some aspect of that issue into the class,” she says. “I do intentionally integrate humor where possible and find students pay more attention when they have been able to laugh at some aspect of the content.”

At the heart of Dumerer’s teaching philosophy is a desire to help students learn how to become active participants in society. “Our society gains immensely since knowledgeable students will help shape the direction government leans,” she says.

Trends of Tomorrow
Looking ahead, Dumerer says the trends that will most influence social studies teachers in the future are technology-related. “In schools across the country, teachers are asked to integrate technology in new ways so that students learn how to garner raw data and factual information to be used in real-time applications,” she says. “This necessitates teachers embracing a variety of applications and discovering meaningful uses.”

Dumerer also believes that social media will play a crucial role in education for both teachers and students. “Additionally, social studies education is likely to become more experiential, with opportunities such as internships or shadowing professionals the norm rather than the exception.”

After dedicating so many years of her life to teaching, what does Dumerer hope to leave as her legacy to her students? “I hope that years after leaving my class, my students will remember three points,” she says. “First, our government works because we participate; second, success is earned through failure; and third, we should practice tolerance.”

Vital Stats

Name: Eric Lind
School Name: Highland High School
City, State: Ault, Colorado
Subjects Taught: Civil Government and U.S. History
Grades Taught: 11 and 12
Years Teaching: 7
Honors: 2016 and 2017 Girls Track and Field Mile High League Coach of the Year

Q&A:
What is your philosophy about teaching American History and Government?
“My philosophy in teaching American History and Government is to make as many real world connections to the past as possible. If you can help students understand that history is not just memorizing people and dates but understanding cause and effect relationships, you can teach skills that students take with them for the rest of their lives.”

How do you stir interest in the subject of American History and U.S. Government among students?

“Not every student loves history. In fact, many dread the topic. As a teacher, I try to make each day different from the previous day so that students stay engaged. While we do repeat skills and activities, I believe adjusting the setting in which the task is completed helps with engagement among students.”

Why it is so important for your students to understand the critical role they can play in our country’s political system?

“Many times students enter a history or civics class anticipating that they will just learn about things that have happened in the past or people who have died long ago. It is my goal to make them realize that learning about the past can help them understand the current conditions that they live in today, as well as make predictions for what the future holds.”

What trends/issues do you think may influence social studies teachers in the future?

“Understanding the concepts of federalism and the impact of globalization will be key topics for teachers to tackle in the ever-changing world we live in today and going forward.”

What would your students say they had learned after spending a year in your class?

“I hope that students leave my class at the end of each year with a better understanding of how we have become the country that we live in today through a cause and effect understanding of history. Also, I hope they better understand the tools they possess as citizens in our government structure and aspire to be a more active participant as they grow older.”    

Name: Kevin M. Cline
School Name: Frankton High School
City, State: Frankton, IN
Subjects Taught: U.S. History, U.S. Government, Dual Credit Government
Grades Taught: 11-12
Years Teaching: 13
Honors: Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History’s 2016 National History Teacher of the Year; 2012 American Civic Education Teaching Award (ACETA) Recipient 

What is your philosophy about teaching your subject?
“I love teaching both U.S. History and Government because these classes afford us the chance to encourage the kind of critical thinking that is so necessary now. I am a firm believer in active citizenship. Young people must leave their secondary educational experience with a strong understanding of their responsibilities as citizens, and the ways in which individual action or inaction can impact their community and country.”  

How do you stir interest in the subject among students?
“Interest comes through interaction. History and government are far from static subjects, designed to be studied through a textbook. Students interact with the voices of the past through primary sources, work through simulations designed to put them into the events and situations we study, and meet their elected officials and experts in the field. These experiences always foster the best thinking, the best discussion, and the best questions.”  

Why it is so important for today’s students to understand they have a voice in the political system?
“This is true not just for students, but for all Americans. After decades of extraordinarily low voter turnout, it seems clear that our country is facing an epidemic of apathy. Few of our Founders agreed on everything, but they were able to achieve compromise on most issues after engaging in significant dialogue. These kinds of conversations aren’t happening enough. Thus the challenge before history and government teachers is to offer students a chance to engage in thoughtful and informed deliberation.”

What trends/issues do you think may influence social studies teachers in the future?
“Social studies education continues to be negated to the back burner. Yet our classrooms are the ideal place for the kind of growth we need as a citizenry. Not in forcing students to believe one way or the other, but in facilitating their growth as active, free-thinking, informed citizens who can engage in critical thinking and dialogue.”  

What would your students say they had learned after spending a year in your class?
“If a student can leave my class with a stronger ability to deliberate, an appreciation for multiple perspectives, and a willingness to engage in productive and respectful dialogue, then I am happy. That is the end goal – to help students grow into people who can do their part in doing some good.”