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My History

I have been enthralled by history ever since I sat upon my grandfather’s knee and hear the stories of World War I, World War II and the Wild West. Stories told by my grandfather may have been embellished for the amusement of a five-year-old but they started a flame of interest in the historical that has burned ever since. The course of my life did not lead me straight to an academic career in history. I spent 20 years traveling and working in various retail businesses in different parts of the United States and these experiences further enhanced my knowledge and desire to learn more about history. As I grew older and started raising children, I found that the flame of history still burned and now it had the added desire to past on the interest in history to others as my grandfather had done for me. After a break of 20 years in my educational career, I return to school for a degree in history and the opportunity ignite the flame of interest in history in the minds of young people. I believe that a fundamental education in the facts of the historical record is important to students' understanding of world in which they live. Creating a personal interest, like my grandfather did for me, in the events of history is just as important as the facts. The student that can feel connected to the distance past will be much more likely to understand and learn the lessons that history teaches. I feel for older students the development of the skill of historical interruption is important in order to understand the facts and causation of history. Students that have historical facts, skills and personal interest will have the ability to become full citizens of our democracy.

Michael Poteet

Contacts: Email mp2poteet@yahoo.com Blog Michael's Word

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My Historical Interest

I believe, as a future single subject credential holder in social studies, all historical subject matter is important and I will endeavor to create the sense of context and personal experience with all aspects of history. In teaching high school students, I think the role of social studies education is the important factor creating citizens that are prepared to be involved in the political process of our democracy. The comparative study of United States history is very important in the creation of citizens. I feel one of the most important subject areas in the study of United States history is the American Civil War. The conflict of brother against brother was the defining moment in the history of the country that created a new birth of freedom and was key in forming the modern structure of the United States. One aspect and enhance students understanding of how important the conflict is to examine the speeches and writings of Abraham Lincoln. The president’s important speeches like the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural can be used to show how the Civil War redefine what it meant to be a free man and citizen of the United States. Lincoln's use of language is easy to relate to by modern students and can be very effective way to connect them the historical story. The understanding of where how the idea of modern citizenship were created will help the students place themselves in the context of history. I feel it is a very important for students at the high school level to understand the context of these speeches and the history of the civil war in order to become full of active citizens of the United States of America. The following link is a great resource for finding out about online information on the Civil War.

American Civil War Sources

California Social Studies Standards

Michael Poteet

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Contributor #2: Eric Stickland

What do I want to teach, and why?

While I am enthusiastic about all historical periods and topics, I find that I am most interested in the history of the ancient world. In particular, I am fascinated by the history of Greece, Rome, Egypt, and the civilizations of the Levant. My interest in these regions is based upon a number of factors; first, there are many material remains from all of these cultures, which makes it easier to picture what it might have been like to live during those times. In addition to providing fodder for an endless parade of History Channel documentaries, these artifacts also give clues about what made some cultures grow and succeed or caused some to decline and disappear. Another factor contributing to my interest in these topics is the fact that many "firsts" in world history occurred in these civilizations. For instance, it was in Mesopotamia that humans first started living in large, permanent settlements, began to differentiate into specialized roles, and developed systems of writing and law. The Greek city-states pioneered with innovations in democracy, warfare, and art. The Egyptians left behind perhaps the most famous monumental architecture of antiquity in the form of the Pyramids, and founded one of the world's first monotheistic religions. Finally, the Romans presided over one of the most impressive empires of the ancient world and proved themselves expert at adapting the discoveries of other cultures for their own purposes.

With regard to the grades I'm interested in teaching, I feel most attracted to secondary education and particularly high school. This is due to a number of factors; first is the fact that higher grades allow the instructor to teach more "in-depth" information on given topics. Additionally, the greater intellectual development of high school students can be conducive to a greater degree of discussion and debate, an activity that I consider a crucial component for stimulating interest, understanding, and fact retention among students.

California History Standards- This link goes to the state-mandated standards for the teaching of history.

Kathy Schrock's Guide for Education: World History Sites- This link goes to a website providing resources for history educators.

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Eric Stickland? Who is this guy?


In my lifetime, I have been exposed a variety of different experiences that have helped to motivate and prepare me for a career in teaching. In this article, I will describe a few of these experiences and how they have impacted me.

While in junior high school, I began attending the Summer Camp program of the Boise (Idaho) Family YMCA. After my first summer as an attendee only, in the six subsequent summers I served in the roles of Counselor-in-Training, Counselor, Senior Counselor, and finally Unit Leader, where I supervised all male staff members. These experiences instilled in me a love of working with youth, showed me the positive impact that one caring adult can have upon children, and taught me valuable skills for interacting with teens.

Another significant experience that has contributed to my aptitude and interest in teaching has been my ongoing, seven year long association with White Dragon Martial Arts schools. Upon moving to the San Diego area, my wife and I enrolled at the school and began studying Choy Li Fut Kung Fu. We benefited from twice-weekly private lessons and advanced quickly, and were both invited to enter the instructor's training program. During this nine month long program, our limits of physical and mental endurance were tested, exceeded, and increased, and we were also trained in working with students in a one-on-one format, using positive feedback to motivate them to do their best. At the completion of the program in April of 2004, both my wife and I graduated as new instructors. In this role, I taught at the Encinitas school for over three years; during this time, I spent over 10 hours each week teaching up to 20 students in a private lesson environment, as well as planning and executing group classes. My students ranged in age from 6 to 60, and ran the gamut of physical abilities and innate aptitudes. I particularly enjoyed getting to know each student in a fashion that allowed me to learn how best to motivate them; I learned that younger children responded particularly well to "fun", whereas older students were interested in self-defense applications, the aesthetics of truly graceful movement, or the historical background of Chinese martial arts. I feel that my experience as a martial arts instructor has prepared me to be a teacher by teaching me some tools to motivate students, making me comfortable in group or one-on-one settings, and giving me experience in positive-reinforcement techniques.

White Dragon Martial Arts Schools
Eric's Blog
Email me

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February 13, 2009