One objective of teaching history is to help young people become good citizens. To fulfill this objective, history teachers need to expose their students to humane and inspiring ideas. Henry Ward Beecher, a nineteenth century Congregationalist who fought for women’s suffrage and an end to slavery, explained this well when he wrote the following:

When young men [and women] are beginning life, the most important period, it is often said, is that in which their habits are formed. That is a very important period. But the period in which the ideas of the young are formed and adopted is more important still. For the ideal with which you go forward to measure things determines the nature, so far as you are concerned, of everything you meet.

Taking Beecher's words to heart, I have always created lessons on the American Revolution with the hope that I’m helping students students become well-versed in the idealistic rhetoric of our nation’s founders. When focusing on the idealism of the founders, the American Revolution can become an exhilarating time in history that inspires students and grounds them in the humane ideas of the past.

The generation that fought the American Revolution had an opportunity to do something for which our generation has little frame of reference. They had the opportunity to create a new nation and experiment with an entirely new type of government. Like a great, although unfinished, work of art, their work at creating a government has stood the test of time. The national constitution they wrote is today the oldest written constitution in the world. At the very least, they established a framework for a government that has lasted over two-hundred years.

Although the founders of our nation gave the world an idealistic vision of liberty and government based on the will of the people, they were not a generation of saints. Too many of them supported slavery, a dehumanizing, brutal institution that clearly violated the ideals of the Revolution. However, in their political rhetoric the founders promoted ideas that began the process of eliminating slavery.

The American Revolution produced writings that supported enlightened ideas of equality and natural rights, ideas that have motivated generations of reformers wanting to make the world more just and humane. Indeed, the rhetoric of the American Revolution became the philosophical foundation for over two hundred years of progressive reforms. One can see the ideas of the American Revolution in the anti-slavery movement, the labor movement, and the progressive movement of the early 1900s. The ideas of the Revolution are also evident in Franklin Roosevelt’s proposal for an economic bill of rights, as well as the women’s movement and the civil rights movement of more recent times.

The generation that fought American Revolution faced a significant challenge: they wanted to create a republican society free of foreign domination. The best description of the nation they were trying to establish came from George Washington. In his First Inaugural Address, he described the achievements of his generation as an “experiment.” He believed the United States was an experiment in whether republican government could work. In other words, the central political question confronting Washington’s generation was whether Americans could govern themselves peacefully without a king. Washington believed the success of the experiment depended on what he called the “virtue in the body of the people.” [Letter to Marquis de Lafayette, February 1788]

And that’s what brings me to a point I want to make about the relationship between teaching and republican motherhood.

During the American Revolution, women lived in a system in which they were viewed primarily as wives and mothers. Within this system there was discussion about the role women should play in the creation of the new nation. In many quarters it was decided that women should assume the duty of raising children with the virtues necessary for the survival of a republican society.

Thus, the idea of “republican motherhood” was introduced, an idea that makes a connection between what mothers did in the home with the needs of the nation. Mothers would teach their sons about the responsibilities of living in a free society and fulfilling their civic responsibilities. Daughters would be taught to pass on these virtues to the next generation when they became mothers.

Republican motherhood is an idea that might serve us well today, but it’s obviously not an idea we would promote with limitations on gender. All adults should think of themselves as "republican mothers" and help children understand the responsibilities of living in a free society that values equality and natural rights. It’s not only mothers and fathers who should promote these values, it’s important that anyone in a position to influence children should do their part, especially history teachers.

And what are the virtues that today's "republican mothers" should teach? What are the virtues that a free society should nurture in young people?

The answer to these questions might seem to be loaded with controversy. However, teachers probably need to look no further than the values promoted by the Character Counts program to find answers acceptable to most people. I would hope that the Six Pillars of Character—trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship—would not cause controversy.

There are also other “virtues” that history teachers can promote with what should be little, if any, controversy.

The framers of our government felt their new nation should be grounded in “experience” and the lessons of the past. They based much of what they did on classical history. The generation that framed our government also expressed a connection to the future. George Washington wanted the actions of his generation to bring about “peace and happiness to millions in the present and future generations.” [General Orders, Wilmington, September 5, 1877]

History teachers might borrow these ideas as virtues to pass on to their students. History teachers are well positioned to provide children with an appreciation of the lessons of the past, as well as a sense of living with an eye on the future to bring about a better world for their children and grandchildren.

American history teachers should also do their part to provide children with an understanding of the higher purpose of our nation. The United States is not a nation defined primarily by its boundaries, culture, religion, or ethnicity. At its best, the United States is defined by lofty ideas, ideas found in the Declaration of Independence that have made our world, in many ways, more humane than it was in 1776.

The ideas of the American Revolution—ideas of liberty, equality, and natural rights—have sparked over two hundred years of progressive change and should never become outdated. Even in a partisan political arena we should be able to find common ground in our belief in the ideas of Declaration of Independence.

Frederick Douglass, who knew first-hand what it meant to be a slave, often expressed a deep-seated anger at the United States He once expressed his anger in a speech on the Fourth of July.

I am not included within the pale of this glorious [Fourth of July] anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us. The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought light and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn. [Oration delivered in Corinthian Hall, Rochester, New York, July 1852]

However, Douglass also believed that more than any other nation the United States encouraged reform.

The Constitution, as well as the Declaration of Independence, and the sentiments of the founders of the Republic, give us a platform broad enough, and strong enough, to support the most comprehensive plans for the freedom and elevation of all the people of this country. [Speech on the Dred Scott Decision, May 1857]

Abraham Lincoln believed that the “central idea” defining our nation came from the Declaration of Independence. It is a self-evident idea that all people are born equal in their rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is a simple, but powerful, idea that has freed millions of people and pushed our nation forward for over two hundred years.

There’s no reason that history teachers shouldn’t assume the role of modern-day “republican mothers” and do their part to keep the idea alive

In my blog of August 28 I recommended The Elements of Teaching by James M. Banner and Harold C. Cannon for anyone interested in looking at teaching as an art form. Based on what I have experienced as a classroom teacher, I have read few, if any, books that offer a better description of what it takes to succeed in the profession.

In the book, Banner and Cannon identify eight characteristics of good teaching that are worth sharing here. Those characteristics are…

• Learning: A good teacher loves learning. They have mastered the subject, and their love of learning and search for knowledge is infectious.
• Authority: A good teacher has authority in the classroom, an authority that comes from the knowledge and character of the teacher. If the teacher is not respected, the teacher’s desire to help students learn is pointless.
• Order: A good teacher has effective classroom management skills. Good classroom management takes many forms: routine procedures, high expectations, reasonable rules of conduct, realistic expectations, equitable rewards and penalties. An orderly classroom is the place where good teaching begins.
• Ethics: A good teacher is an ethical person who understands the responsibilities of the profession. An ethical teacher is one who puts the needs of the students before anything else. An ethical teacher is one who is sensitive to the beliefs and culture of each student.
• Imagination: Good teachers are imaginative. They possess the ability to approach their subject in a way that captures the attention of their students and enhances learning. Good teachers find a way to engage students.
• Compassion: Good teachers care about their students. They care about making the world better.
• Character: Good teachers are good people. Good teaching stems from the character and personality of the teacher.
• Pleasure: Good teachers make learning enjoyable. They find joy in being with students and helping students learn. Good teachers bring a sense of playfulness and fun into the classroom.

Few have said it better than Banner and Cannon

It’s been almost forty years since I took an algebra class, and I have long forgotten the process of solving algebraic equations. However, I have never forgotten the other lessons I learned from my math teacher, lessons that went far beyond the need to know algebra.

Mr. Dooley did not tolerate foolishness. His class was designed to help students learn, and he always used class time productively. He had a sense of humor, but his humor was geared toward the task of learning algebra. He could tell good stories, but the stories led to a math problem that needed solving. He was relaxed, but his students never wasted time. I knew to show up ready to learn or face his disapproval. I felt compelled to do my best because I knew he would never accept a second-rate effort.

Today, I would no longer be able to solve the algebra problems I once conquered in Mr. Dooley’s class. I am certain, however, that if my studies in math had continued after high school, I would have been prepared for any career requiring an advanced knowledge of math. I had a great teacher. Mr. Dooley not only taught me to solve algebraic equations, but also to take learning seriously. He made sure I excelled at every task in front of me.

The fact that Mr. Dooley was able to make such a difference came from something intangible. His success did not come from the textbook he used or the teaching strategies he had learned at a university. He was a successful teacher because of who he was as a person. Indeed, it may be that the secret to good teaching is found in that one simple idea: Good teaching stems from good people.

Students will work hard for a person they respect. They know whether a teacher is in the classroom for reasons of the heart, and they know whether the teacher has faith in students. If students sense that a teacher is working hard for their benefit, they are more likely to put a little extra effort into an assignment — they are more likely to try and learn something new. Mr. Dooley was such a teacher. Students sensed that if they did what he said, they would succeed. Students sensed he was on their side.

When I was in high school, I thought of Mr. Dooley as an almost mythical figure, a flawless man who was larger than life. I now realize something I could not have imagined in high school: Mr. Dooley was just a human being with imperfections like any other human being.

I can now see that the large-than-life flawless character inspiring me to do my best in math was probably nothing more than a man who understood the responsibilities of his profession and was playing a role well. Mr. Dooley assumed the role of someone who could pull the best out of high school math students. He played the character well and, in the process, helped a lot of kids.

Teachers are like actors and know they must create a well-defined character for a specific audience. They know they must create a character with whom the audience can identify, a character who can inspire students and give them the desire to learn.

Good teaching demands full immersion in the role. The teacher must continue to play the role in the hallways between classes, at the Saturday night basketball game, and when running into students at the mall. After all, it might not be what a teacher does in the classroom that has the most impact on a student’s life. It might be the words the teacher speaks at the grocery store or in the waiting room at the dentist’s office that inspire a student to work a little harder or to stay in school. Teachers might even find themselves needing to play the role in front of a former student, several years after the student has left the classroom.

Whether in the classroom or at the department store, teachers have a deep and profound responsibility to serve the needs of their students. Teachers, like actors, have an ethical obligation to find a way to touch and inspire their audiences, and they must never abandon that obligation.

Success as a teacher demands that the character a teacher develops must seem authentic to students. In the same way that a movie audience can spot a bad actor in the first reel, students can detect a fraudulent teacher on the first day of school. Students must believe that the character in front of them is dedicated to their welfare.

Teachers, like actors, must also find elements of their own personality in the role they are playing. Teachers must find the part of their spirit that wants to help students and then bring that spirit into the classroom. They must tap into the part of their personality that is honest, caring, and full of love. They must shine a spotlight on the part of their soul that wants to give students a bright future and make the world a better place.

As Kurt Vonnegut said, “Be careful what you pretend to be because you are what you pretend to be.” Teachers who are subject to occasional outbursts of anger must convincingly play the role of an even-tempered person when they are in the classroom. Teachers who might be distracted by circumstances in their personal lives must pretend to be focused on the concerns of students. Teachers who are not interested in Japanese animation must pretend to be enthralled by the student who wants to talk about the newest anime downloaded on the Internet.

Teachers are human beings and make mistakes. Like anyone, a teacher might not always be the person he or she would like to be. Every teacher should try, however, to pretend to be the person who motivates students. Each teacher should try to act the part. Even if a teacher has played the part for several years, he or she can assume the attitude of a good actor and know that this year’s students have never before seen the performance. Each teacher must play the part well. Nothing more than the success and well being of our children is at stake.