14 replies to this topic

[Tony Fox]

I am keen to get teachers using the local branches of the HA, especially the one I am Chairman of (Durham), I feel our lectures are useful to students and teachers alike. Anyone got any ideas on how to get people out on a cold tuesday winter night?

Meanwhile please find the flyer for this months

Attached Files

•  flyer_Oct_21_John_Sadler_2008.doc   81.5K   16 downloads

[Dan Moorhouse]

Anyone got any ideas on how to get people out on a cold tuesday winter night?

Meanwhile please find the flyer for this months

From experience... brute force....

Totally in agreement though. We had a pile of really good things on for students in W Yorks and very few atended. The Teachers meetings border on the ridiculous at times: free inset from Ian Dawson, Heather Scott, several others and erm... me... and take up is pants. Odd as local schools HAVE said that they want out of hours inset for history....

[Giles Falconer]

The only thing I can suggest is that a branch could survey its local schools (those with Sixth Forms) and find out what general areas they are teaching at A level - with the reduction to 4 Units these could be quite different from school to school. Maybe then the programme could be devised to take 'popular' areas into account?

I've just received our local branch programme, and whilst the lectures look interesting to me as an adult, none of them are relevant to our Sixth Formers (or at least to their A level studeies.

[Jackie Topham]

The only thing I can suggest is that a branch could survey its local schools (those with Sixth Forms) and find out what general areas they are teaching at A level - with the reduction to 4 Units these could be quite different from school to school. Maybe then the programme could be devised to take 'popular' areas into account?

Thats exactly what I got a fax about on Monday!

[Chouan]

One consideration is that some of us have lives beyond history teaching. It wouldn't matter how important or useful an evening HA seminar or lecture might be; given how much my partner resents my absence from home in the evening for meetings, parents' evenings etc etc, all of which are requirements of the job, as well as my internal exile through marking, my absence, through choice, because of attending HA activities would not be looked on favourably!

[Giles Falconer]

One consideration is that some of us have lives beyond history teaching. It wouldn't matter how important or useful an evening HA seminar or lecture might be; given how much my partner resents my absence from home in the evening for meetings, parents' evenings etc etc, all of which are requirements of the job, as well as my internal exile through marking, my absence, through choice, because of attending HA activities would not be looked on favourably!

I'm sure this is a problem for many of us - but I'd happily encourage my students (esp. the Y13s who have their own cars) to go on their own - if it was linked to the syllabus - and probably some would go...

[Tony Fox]

Thanks for the comments, I am glad, as the comments re-enforce the discussions we have been having. I am in the process of asking the schools in the area, the next problems is that we let schools know but as with most out of hours activities it takes too much time to get through schools red tape.

[Giles Falconer]

the next problems is that we let schools know but as with most out of hours activities it takes too much time to get through schools red tape

You could get round this by pointing out that HA branches would welcome A Level students who come "under their own steam" - as a teacher I'm more likely to point out the fact that a lecture is taking place, when & where to the students and encourage the committed to go than to run an official trip (which I couldn't anyway as we don't have a minibus...)

[JaneMoore]

How about - as part of an A level, students had to have an evidence file of interest in History BEYOND the exam - meet certain standards? (does this sound familiar?) and thus visits to HA meetings, museums, investigations and evaluations of TV/Film history could have examination value.

[Chouan]

I think that that is an excellent idea. I find it hard, even when students are otherwise motivated and even enthusiastic, to get them to do anything beyond the basic work set. Making it a requirement would "encourage" them to do so far more than we could ever do.

[caldwell]

I have never received a list of lectures from my local HA group. I don't know where they meet. We have local historical societies but they deal with local history - of great interest -but not of much use for supporting curriculum areas.

[Chouan]

I must admit that I'm in the same situation as far as my students are concerned. If the local HA people contacted the school I'm sure that there would be some interest. As it is, the students are completely unaware of their existnce.

[Tony Fox]

I must admit that I'm in the same situation as far as my students are concerned. If the local HA people contacted the school I'm sure that there would be some interest. As it is, the students are completely unaware of their existnce.

You can find the contact details and the list of lectures in Teaching History (although the Durham Branches' is missing this quarter!!!!)
Alternatively the details can be found on the HA website

[caldwell]

I must admit that I'm in the same situation as far as my students are concerned. If the local HA people contacted the school I'm sure that there would be some interest. As it is, the students are completely unaware of their existnce.

You can find the contact details and the list of lectures in Teaching History (although the Durham Branches' is missing this quarter!!!!)
Alternatively the details can be found on the HA website

My branch isn't featured on the website. nor can I find any reference in back issues of Teaching History.