Revolutionary History

History education is seriously lacking or flawed at this point in time. Part of the problem is that many historians want to deconstruct the past without context. Another part of the problem is that people just don't think it's important. Unfortunately, without knowing our past, we will have no real future.

Jason
http://ripsflagon.townhall.com

Is that most historians have an agenda. I have just started reading Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War and love the fact that he tries to write as an objective witness. Few can do that, because almost everyone who studies or writes about history does so with preconcieved notions or a personal agenda. The biggest of preconcieved notions is looking at the past through the lense of the present. There are eternal right and wrong, but there are also societal norms that are different in different eras. These things must be taken into account when teaching history. Most history teachers fall into the camp of revisionist, changing history to meet their own standards or notions, or placeholders, teaching history because it is a well paying job that includes lots of vacation time and a chance to coach a favored sport. The truly great history teachers are the ones who challenge their students to look beyond the names, dates, and events, and attempt to analyze within the context of the time and with an eye to relevence for today. To do this without expecting your students to share your own opinions is a challenge that few teachers are up to. I was fortunate to have had one of them.