Alumni Spotlight: Jennifer Reidel
Our cohort was pushed to consider how class, race, gender, and sexuality influenced the recording and telling of historical events. Those discussions were not always comfortable, but they gave me a foundation to teach in today’s political climate and a framework to view my work here at the Library.
Our featured alum is Jennifer Reidel (MA History 2007). She is a civics and social studies teacher at Options High School in Bellingham, Washington. During the 2019-20 year, she was in Washington, D.C., as the Library of Congress’s Teacher in Residence.
How long have you been a teacher, and what is your favorite part about teaching?
I have been teaching Social Studies for 23 years. What energizes me is when I am able to connect content to a previously disengaged student who then begins to ask questions and ultimately is invested in their learning. I am most passionate about teaching Civics, US History, and Law. Collectively, knowledge of these three subjects have the power to effectively equip students to positively impact their world.
Congratulations on being the Library of Congress’s Teacher in Residence. What are you going to be doing during your year in DC?
Thank you, I am still pinching myself wondering if it is real! My position entails several duties. First, I will be digging into the Library collections and curating digitized primary sources educators can use to illustrate civic principles. I am writing lesson plans developed specifically for Civics and US History teachers and blogging monthly in Teaching with the Library of Congress to highlight primary source activities centered on Civics. Secondly, I will assist with teacher professional development sessions at national conferences and teacher trainings at the Library. And lastly, as Civics educator, I will contribute to the work of the Library in determining how its collections and resources can effectively and intentionally support civic literacy.
How did your graduate work in history at Western help prepare you for your work?
During my time as a graduate student in the History department, my paradigms and narratives of history were broadened. Our cohort was pushed to consider how class, race, gender, and sexuality influenced the recording and telling of historical events. Those discussions were not always comfortable, but they gave me a foundation to teach in today’s political climate and a framework to view my work here at the Library. In addition, as a master’s student in the History department, I drastically improved my researching, writing, and editing skills. Each of these I use on a daily basis as the Teacher in Residence.
What is the coolest thing you’ve learned or seen while in DC?
Hmm, where to start? The fact that I have easy access to original artifacts of history daily blows me away. But, so far, I have had two lasting experiences I will never forget. The first one occurred at the end of the National Book Festival on Labor Day weekend. I had bought the most recent young adult book written by Sharon Robinson, daughter of Jackie Robinson. I had the chance to meet, hug, and be encouraged as an educator from a voice of history! The other amazing experience was that I got a tour in the closed stacks of the Manuscript Reading Room at the Library of Congress and was able to see an original copy of Martin Luther King Jr.’s, “I Have a Dream” speech. The next day I visited his memorial and stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial where he delivered his vision for a better America. Life for a history teacher doesn’t get much better than this!