In History Class, A Young Teacher “Pulls Students Back to Today”
Mix one youthful teacher, one part passion, and a deep knowledge of history, and you’ve found the St. Paul Academy’s secret recipe for history classes that students are actually excited to take.
In James Lewis’s classes at the St. Paul Academy (SPA) in St. Paul, Minn., students always feel welcome and engaged, and it works—they walk away with thorough understanding of US and world history.
James Lewis
Students at SPA come for the enthusiastic teacher and receive more than just a chronology of dates and people. They learn to make connections across generations, draw comparisons from continent to continent, and strengthen their intellectual confidence.
Lewis—who holds a bachelor’s in history from Kenyon College and a master’s in history from Penn State—is just hitting his stride as a second-year teacher at the school. At 26 years old, he doesn’t fit the stereotypical image of a bespectacled history teacher, but his fresh take makes Lewis a popular—and effective—addition to SPA.
Students are happy to focus on learning in Lewis’s classroom, and it’s no accident. He is intentionally vocal about his ardor for history: “My first love is American history and I think my students catch on to that. I’m upfront with them that it’s my passion.” It also helps that his curriculum, in accordance with the SPA mission, brings in a diverse collection of ideas that spark interest and discussion.
SPA emphasizes discussion in the classroom. Students are groomed so that by senior year, nearly everyone in a class will participate in discussion. Lewis knows it can be hard at first, so he focuses particularly on building younger students’ confidence for speaking up in class. He plans lessons to include both opportunities for students who feel less confident about sharing, and chances for those more vocal to build their leadership and response skills.
Lewis, despite his expertise, doesn’t hesitate to let his students do some teaching of their own. One of his favorite things about teaching is hearing his students’ unique worldviews. “I think it’s always really cool when you ask students who are well traveled and well read to contribute,” said Lewis.
This give-and-take of ideas in the classroom is one of the things that makes Lewis so successful, said SPA Diversity Director Karen Dye. “He sets an example by not suppressing his intellectual capabilities yet still being able to have an extensive conversation about the latest American Idol castoff,” said Dye.
The History of Race, Lewis’s senior-level elective course, most closely reflects his area of scholarly focus. In this discussion-based class, students take on college-level readings, and learn to connect them to our world today.
“It’s not just about reading a history book,” said Lewis. “It’s about pulling students back to today. We are taking historic knowledge and using it to interpret events of the present.”
Students will never have a rote learning experience in Lewis’s classes. He hopes they come away knowing that the study of history is not as simple as memorizing dates and places. “I want my students to get the sense that historians have arguments and that they are often fierce,” said Lewis.
No matter how difficult the course material, however, it’s always easy to show up to Lewis’s classroom. “James sets a comfortable tone right away in all of his classes,” said Dye.
The readings and concepts in Lewis’s classes may be tough, he admits. Witnessing his students’ effort is where Lewis gets the most satisfaction. “It’s rewarding when you challenge students and they step up.”
