Charles City’s Ann Prichard nominated for NHD’s ‘teacher of the year’ award

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

According to Charles City teacher Ann Prichard, “history is amazing.”

Her fascination with history, and with teaching it to her students, has led to Prichard becoming the only teacher in Iowa to become a finalist in the junior division for the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year award of the National History Day (NHD) National Contest in Iowa.

“I don’t expect to win, but it really is an honor to be nominated,” laughed Prichard, who called her work with National History Day “very rewarding.”

“I don’t know how much the students learn from this, but I sure learn an awful lot,” she said.

Cathy Gorn, executive director of National History Day, said that Prichard demonstrates “creative teaching methods to engage her students with history.”

The only other Iowa teacher nominated was Leigh Ann Schroeder of Rivermont Collegiate in Bettendorf , who was nominated in the senior division. The award recognizes the pivotal role teachers play in the lives of students.

“Prichard and Schroeder have demonstrated commitment to engaging their students in historical learning through innovative uses of primary sources, implementation of active learning strategies to foster historical thinking skills, and participation in National History Day,” Gorn stated in a release. “Prichard and Schroeder are leading examples for their peers and an invaluable resource for their students.”

One national winner in each division will be selected by a committee of experienced teachers and historians, and announced on Saturday, June 19, at the NHD National Contest Awards Ceremony, to be held virtually. All teachers receive $500 for being nominated and the two national winners will receive $10,000.

Prichard said she hadn’t yet decided what she’s going to do with the $500.

“I’ve never gotten a cash prize like that. That’s kind of pleasant,” she laughed.

The National History Day program includes a progressive contest cycle open to students in grades 6-12, beginning with district contests in February and March, state contests in April and national contest in June.

A National History Day contest has several divisions, including documentaries, papers, exhibits and performances. Entries must finish first or second at a district contest and then do the same at the state contest in late April to advance to Washington D.C.

At National History Day in Iowa District Contests across the state, students compete for a chance to advance to the National History Day State Contest to be held in Des Moines.

Every year National History Day frames the student research within a historical theme. The theme is chosen for the broad application to world, national, or state history and its relevance to ancient history or to the more recent past.

National History Day is a nonprofit educational organization that promotes the teaching and learning of history in middle and high schools around the world through a variety of programs for teachers and students. The largest program is the National History Day Contest. Established in 1974, the National History Day Contest encourages more than half a million middle and high school students around the world to conduct original research on historical topics.

Students present projects at the local and affiliate levels. The top two projects from every category are invited to the Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park.

National History Day in Iowa is administered by the State Historical Society of Iowa, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.