Hillcrest High School Social Science teacher Kristen Kaczmarek served on a panel at the 2023 Illinois History Conference in Springfield. Kaczmarek has presented at the conference in the past, but this was the first time the passionate teacher had the honor of serving on a panel regarding public history in the classroom.
The Hillcrest High School teacher spoke about how public historians and K-12 schools can work together to improve history education by working with museums, visiting historical sites, engaging with online public history and more. On several occasions, Kaczmarek worked with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, as well as work through the Gilder Lehrman Institute and a program they ran through there. Additionally, she serves on the Teacher Advisory Board for the Chicago History Museum and does work with the iCivics Advisory Board as well.
Heading into the event, Kaczmarek said her goal was to increase conversations that will allow the panel to identify areas they can collaborate on, increase student achievement, aid educators in enhancing curriculum, and develop possible professional development ideas.
“Discussions like this are important because even though the internet is a great resource, we often forget about public historians and how they can help us educate students. Using universities and museums allows our students to gain different viewpoints and perspectives into history that they are unable to do via a computer or textbook,” Kaczmarek said. “ Our students can even speak with historians and gain valuable knowledge that can add to instruction allowing them to apply what they have learned and make deeper connections. Additionally, conversations between educators and public historians allow for more meaningful content to be developed in our curriculums which can directly be tied into not only State Standards, but Common Core Standards as well.”
Kaczmarek has always been fascinated with history, and learning more about the past and those who created change. One of her grandfathers served in World War II, and learning about his history was very interesting to her as a child. Additionally, Kaczmarek’s other grandfather was a Chicago Firefighter and took many photos for the city of Chicago. Looking at these photos and learning about the past at a young age really sparked her interest into wanting to learn more.
“I would not be able to present at this conference if it was not for women in history who decided they wanted to change the status quo. Seeing how history has changed and how certain parts of our society still are trying to change is what fascinates me about this area,” Kaczmarek said. “I also love to see how my students make certain connections about history in class, and when they learn something new about a topic that interests them in history, making them want to investigate more. This drives me to continue to develop certain areas of my curriculum so that I continue to spark curiosity and make them just as passionate about this subject area as I am.”
This opportunity meant a lot to Kaczmarek, who was told once during a job fair that as a woman, she wouldn’t find a position as a history teacher. She now holds four graduate degrees, different endorsements, countless hours spent on history curriculum committees, presenting at the Illinois History Conference, and now being asked to serve on a panel.
“It just goes to show don’t give up on your dreams. This is something that I tell my students every day. If you are passionate about something and have a dream, don’t give up on it no matter what,” she said. “The road may be rocky at times, but it will be worth it in the end. I am now working at a phenomenal school district where I LOVE my students and I get to present at conferences and serve on Teacher Advisory Boards for Museums. Anything is possible!”