History and irony

This past week was really busy. Apart from teaching I was busy with organizing extra-curricular activities, plus we hosted the monthly bookclub at our place and organized a dinner for 20 people on the occassion of the chupa (marriage) of two of our friends. Everything in the house is in a different place. It's amazing how many people fit in a small apartment. I am now taking a break from reorganizing and washing dishes in order to discuss something I have been thinking about a lot lately.

The big challenge that faces every history teacher is to make history relevant and interesting. History is a collection of stories that, if told in the right way, can teach children a lot about the world, themselves, and life in general. If the teacher doesn't know the material, or doesn't posess the skills of a good storyteller, the class is boring and meaningless.

During my teachers' course, and also this past year, I read lots of books about classroom management, organizing skills, and all the other technical aspects of teaching. But lately it occurred to me that the best tools for classroom control are a) knowledge and b) a good story.

I want to spend more time reading history books, in order to know more and to have more anecdotes to tell.

This is where my main question comes in. Throughout the past year I noticed that what kids liked best about the stories I told, is irony. Telling stories about the past can be very heavy and dry, but with a twist of irony it becomes memorable and tasty. Although the war Napoleon fought in Russia, for example, was a big tragedy, the story can be told with a slight sense of humour and irony. Stressing the fact that the French soldiers were sent into the fierce Russian cold basically dressed in thin shirts and sandals (so to speak), makes the story funny to hear for the students and at the same time teaches them important lessons about the past. Although I somtimes feel bad to talk about of the lives and suffering of real people in such a lighthearted way, I do feel that this is the only way to make history alive and attractive to teenagers.

So I decided that in stead of reading classroom management books, this coming time I will focus on real history books. Four books I want to start reading are:

-The climax of Rome by Michael Grant (about the final centuries of the Roman Empire)

- A few bloody noses by Robert Harvey (on the American civil war)

- Eyewitnesses of world history by Geert Mak (collection of historical eye witness accounts)

- In Europe by Geert Mak (history of Europe in the 20th century, very easy to read but 700+ pages, a real treat for the weekend)

The book I am currently reading will have to help me on developing the sense of irony I feel I need. It's 'It seemed like a good idea' by William Forstchen and Bill Fawcett. It is a collection of, as the writers call it, 'great historical fiascoes. It contains stories from the Roman Empire until the first Gulf War and everything in between. One story I just read is about the father of Alexandre the Great of Macedonia. Although many people in his country were opposed to his reign, Philip nevertheless one day decided to march in a procession without armed escorts , as was a Greek tradition.

"Thus Philip, on the morning of the festival, decked himself out in his finest robes, stepped to the front of the parade and started off alone, limping along, waving, acknowledging the cheers of the crowd. It was a grand gesture, undoubtedly drawing positive comment from foreign observers... and it cost him his life. As he stepped into the tunnel leading into the arena he was suddenly surprised by his old jilted lover, who drew a dagger and plunged it into Philip's chest. Philip staggered out into the arena and collapsed in a pool of blood".

Although it is a sad story, and telling it in such a way might seem inaproriate, I think this is the way the students will remember it. Isn't that the best possible tribute to any actor on the historical stage?