SALINE, MI - Adam Sakel wants students who take his history classes to have a better understanding of themselves, as well as know how to critically examine ideas and present their own ideas respectfully and persuasively.
That learning process also should include hands-on activities to make the subject come alive, said Sakel, who lives in Saline and teaches at Airport High School. And in no subject is that more than apparent than history, he said.
“Holding a silk escape map or V-mail letter from World War II draws a direct connection between the past and present and promotes further inquiry,” Sakel said. “A retrial of British soldiers charged with the Boston Massacre asks students to analyze sources and evidence from a different perspective. Firing a canon, using a manual typewriter, or building a Viking longboat requires students to make connections to broader historical content.”
For his efforts in making history come alive, Sakel, has been named the 2022 Michigan History Teacher of the Year, an award presented annually by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.
Sakel received the award in New York City from Gilder Lehrman, an organization dedicated to K-12 American history education. Started in 2004, the History Teacher of the Year Award highlights the importance of history education by honoring exceptional American history teachers from elementary school through high school.
The award honors one K-12 teacher from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools and U.S. Territories.
“Knowledgeable and impassioned teachers bring our country’s history to life for students, allowing them to understand engaging with history is about more than a series of facts,” James G. Basker, Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History president, said in a statement. “Teachers are the lifeblood of our students’ education, and these are the best of the best.”
A graduate of Bowling Green State University, Sakel joined Airport Community Schools, located in Carleton in Monroe County, in 2010. Prior to that, he taught in traditional schools in Gibsonburg, Ohio, Woburn, Massachusetts. Prior to classroom teaching, Sakel spent 15 years developing museums, exhibits, educational programs, and special events for the Ohio Historical Society at Fort Meigs State Memorial in Perrysburg, Ohio.
His classes promote student inquiry, make connections between the past and the present and encourage students to share their knowledge with the world.
One recent assignment in Sakel’s U.S. history class had students search U.S. Census records to learn about their family story in an effort to make the class content relevant and tangible, he said.
“The past becomes personal when students realize that their family participated in the history we are studying,” Sakel said. “By the end of the year, they realize they are responsible for creating American history’s next chapter.”
Sakel has regularly partnered with Monroe County’s library and museum systems, as well as regional museums to make history personal and relevant for his students, the Gilder Lehrman Institute noted.
The United States has always required active citizens to maintain a strong democracy, Sakel said, making it a neccessity for them to learn to think historically so they can critically examine multiple perspectives and present their own ideas.
“They are responsible for the future of the republic,” Sakel said. “We are responsible for preparing them.”
In addition to a $1,000 honorarium, Sakel received a core archive of American history books and Gilder Lehrman educational materials. He was recognized during a local ceremony and is one of 53 finalists for the 2022 National History Teacher of the Year Award.
The winner of this year’s National History Teacher of the Year Award will be announced in October 2022.
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