I have found a way to continue to do what I love best, teaching students history. It came to me the other day. Why not start my own classes for this fall? Classes that would help students better perform on the U.S. History Subject Area Test. I could offer it to anyone in the tenth or eleventh grades. It would be free and I would make it a fun experience. Take what I did in the classroom and offer to anyone that wants to attend. Offer a seminar maybe twice a month.
At the same time doubts started to arise. More than likely no one will show up especially teenagers. Can you imagine teens voluntarily showing up for a lecture in history? Could I really make it that interesting that folks would stay once they got there? What of my critics who might show up to hackle me or ask stupid questions to throw me off? All these things have been popping up in my mind.
What I first had in mind is a seminar entitled "Head Start in History." I would introduce students to some early material found on the state exam. I ran the idea past some of my former students last week and they loved and said they would show. Who knows?
So I'm caught between wanting to do it and not really knowing if it would be worth the time and effort. I suppose if just a few students showed and they learned something that might help them it would be worth it. I've got a lot of good ideas for my seminar but just don't really know if I should push forward.
One thing is for sure, I feel like a fish out of water not having a class to teach. I get really down thinking about the fall without students. So I turn to you. What do think? Is a Walters' seminar for a Head Start in History a good idea or just a teacher with no classroom desperate for students to teach. Let me know.