Get to Know the 2017 History Teachers of the Year: Casey Swift, Wyoming

In 2017, the Gilder Lehrman Institute recognized 52 State History Teachers of the Year for their tireless and innovative efforts to make history come alive for their students. 

But who are they, really? We asked these talented teachers to answer a few questions about themselves and to reflect on the challenges and joys of teaching. We will feature a state winner every Tuesday and Thursday, so keep checking back to learn more about these outstanding educators!

This week, meet Casey Swift: 

Casey Swift, Lander Middle School
2017 Wyoming History Teacher of the Year

Do you have a favorite/funny memory from teaching?
My favorite thing about teaching is when I get students coming up to me the next day in class and telling me that they had a conversation with their parents about what was discussed in class the previous day, or that they can make authentic and personal connections with their world based on what we are studying in class. I also enjoy the humbling experience after teaching a unit on persuasion styles and propaganda techniques when students become cognizant of them and begin to point them out in advertisements, clothing, in peer conversations or debates, or when I or another teacher slyly try to apply any of them to guide student behavior in the classroom or in the hallways! These are the types of things that make teaching so rewarding and fun and reinforce that what I am doing in the classroom is making a difference in my students’ lives.

State one fun historical fact about the town you live in or grew up in.
I truly live in the historic Wild West! The town I currently reside in once hosted legendary figures like Butch Cassidy and the “Wild Bunch.” The town was a hub for pioneers, fur traders, gold miners, and the like. It was part of the Oregon Trail and founded by the Union General Frederick W. Lander, a famous transcontinental explorer. Lander is also where the first paid rodeo took place.

What is the last great history book you read?
I have always been fascinated with the Gilded Age. My father-in-law recommended the book The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by T. J. Stiles. It tells the story of how Cornelius Vanderbilt built an empire by starting off in the inland water trade between Staten Island and New York and eventually becoming a pioneer in the rapidly growing railroad industry and owner of the New York Central Railroad. Besides learning about Vanderbilt’s perseverance, I was fascinated by the vast amounts of wealth accumulated by Vanderbilt and other tycoons of his day. I had the opportunity to visit Cornelius Vanderbilt’s summer cottage, The Breakers, in Newport, Rhode Island, and could not get over the idea that a summer cottage could be the size of a castle where the walls were literally lined with gold!

What are your favorite historical sites or museums?
Wyoming is entrenched in western culture and history and so there are many wonderful historical sites and museums around the state that provide both that rich cultural heritage and natural history of West. The Fremont County Pioneer Museum and the Museum of the American West are part of the town I currently reside. They offer wonderful stories and artifacts that tell of the time when pioneers made their way across the United States looking for new opportunities.

Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks are preserved natural museums of what the western landscape looked like prior to settlement, where wildlife roams freely for all respectful visitors to enjoy. These two national parks are some of our country’s most treasured relics that every American should have the opportunity to visit. They are humbling in the way that reminds all of us how important it is to preserve our natural resources.

The Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming is a great museum for natural history and art as well as learning about the history of the Plains Indians. It is actually a complex of five museums. It is the oldest and most comprehensive museum complex of the West and definitely a must stop on your way to Yellowstone National Park!

Another powerful museum in Wyoming is the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center in Powell, Wyoming. It tells of the story of Japanese Americans imprisoned at the Heart Mountain Internment Camp during World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor. It addresses Civil Rights violations under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s signing of Executive Order 9066. The museum sits on the very site where more than 10,000 Japanese Americans once lived under the armed guard towers of American troops during the war. The stories and artifacts at the museum leave a chilling reminder of the unintended consequences of war hysteria and the violations to our constitutional rights as American citizens.

One museum outside of Wyoming that has had the greatest impact on me was the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. Never before have I had the opportunity to experience the war era in such detail! The museum covers everything from events leading up to the war to home front efforts and sacrifices by civilians to providing a comprehensive look at the war from both fronts. It is a museum that one could spend a week exploring and you leave humbled and grateful for the bravest men and women who fought to protect our land, country, culture, and Constitution. The greatest impact of the museum came at the end of my tour when I had the privilege of meeting and visiting with World War II veterans. I felt as though I was in the presence of not just heroes, but superheroes and celebrities all wrapped up in one.

What advice would you give to young people, in high school or college, who may be considering a career in education but are unsure?
I would ask any young person who is considering a career in education what they truly want to get out of life. What drives your purpose in life? To me, a full life is not based on how long one lives or how much stuff one accumulates throughout their lifetime, but by how many experiences one has, good and bad, and the lives one touches in the process that will leave a legacy for future generations to look back on and say, “that Mr. Swift believed in me and pushed me to be the person I am today.”

If you have a knack for connecting with people, expressing your belief in their abilities, and a drive to challenge yourself daily to ensure that what you do has as positive an impact as possible on those you work with, then teaching may be for you. If you have the thirst for making yourself better, your community better, the world a better place to live—if you have the power to influence and motivate and inspire, or a passion to reflect, accept setbacks, learn from past mistakes, and realize that all people need multiple opportunities to show that they can be successful with just the right teacher, coach, mentor, leader, mascot, friend, and disciplinarian—then teaching may just be for you.

One last bit of advice I would give to anyone considering the teaching profession is this: if you do not have empathy, develop it. It is ultimately the driving force and determining factor between a student believing in oneself and believing in you, and the difference between succeeding or failing, not just in education, but also in life. Developing empathy as a teacher can be the deciding factor between what makes a teacher mediocre regardless of what he or she does in the classroom and a teacher that can be exceptional. That is why teachers are really superheroes, because it takes a certain type of person to do what we do on a daily basis. We are out to save the world. Are you up for the challenge?

If you could travel back in time and meet any historical figure who would it be and why?
I would like to sit down with the late Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin and pick his brain as to why he had the gumption and tenacity to take it upon himself to abuse his power and attempt to destroy the lives of so many individuals that he suspected of being Soviet spies, oftentimes without any evidence of Communist collusion. This was a democratically elected official who wreaked havoc on the lives of many innocent citizens. He is a stark reminder of why being an involved and informed citizen is of the utmost importance. A democracy is only as strong as its citizens are engaged and informed. Without those two critical components, our democracy is at dire risk of being nothing more than a failed experiment.

Who is your favorite historian?
I have also always enjoyed my father-in-law’s stories. His vast knowledge about New England and maritime history is always intriguing; however, my favorite historian is anyone with a personal experience and great story—storytellers make great historians!

What are your favorite historical films or series?
Good Night, and Good Luck is perfect for connecting to today’s atmosphere. It addresses the hysteria of the Cold War era and threat of Soviet infiltration. The Men Who Built America is a great depiction of the pioneers of the American Industrial Revolution. Band of Brothers is an outstanding contribution brought to life by executive producers Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg depicting the story of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, known as Easy Company, and their participation in major battles and events of World War II in Europe. Finally, the Discovery Education site is the best historical database of online and video/audio and other teacher resources available!

Do you have a favorite historical topic or era?
I find the Cold War era to be the most fascinating to learn about. The idea of two world powers competing for complete world dominance is both assuring and terrifying. On one hand it was no longer multiple countries fighting for dominance, but on the other hand the two world powers entangled relations with nearly every other country on the planet setting the stage for what appeared to be an inextricable third world war. After failed military campaigns from both sides to spread their sphere of political and economic influence, the idea that both world powers would appear to stop at nothing to gain an advantage over the other created an uncertain and potentially grim future for planet Earth and civilization. The efforts made by both sides to increase military might and spread ideologies, to infiltrate and undermine the political, cultural, and economic systems that both world powers possessed, nearly drove both sides to economic collapse. Whether it be failed military campaigns, stories of espionage that inspired fictional characters in spy novels, nuclear arms races, or American pop-cultural crusades—the Cold War era is one story that has perhaps not fully come to a close. The effects of the Berlin Wall crumbling to the ground were symbolic and transformational, but the potentially unintended aftermath and a second uprising seems more real today since the end of the first Cold War.

Do your students have a favorite historical topic or era?
Middle school students are very opinionated and yearn to express themselves and their beliefs. I want to show my students that they have avenues and opportunities in my classroom to express their thoughts. It is no surprise that my students enjoy class debates and discussions where they analyze primary source documents or artifacts and share their analyses with their peers. The Civil War era, World War I, and the Great Depression are three topics that lend themselves easily to debate opportunities, and my students enjoy taking an active role in stating their claims, supporting them with evidence, and determining the most logical conclusion after listening to each other’s perspectives.