Denver Brunsman Speaks to National History Teacher of the Year’s Students in Pittsburgh

As a part of Joseph Welch’s award for being named the 2018 National History Teacher of the Year, his 8th grade social studies class at North Hills Middle School in Pittsburgh and AP US History students at North Hills High School attended a presentation and Q&A with Denver Brunsman, associate professor of history at George Washington University (GWU) in Washington DC. 

Aptly timed for President’s Day, Professor Brunsman lectured to fifty students on the topic “Washington, Hamilton, and the Founding Era.” 

Brunsman, who is currently teaching “The American Revolution” in the online Pace–Gilder Lehrman MA in American History Program, writes on the politics and social history of the American Revolution, early American republic, and British Atlantic world. He received the Walker Cowen Memorial Prize for an outstanding work in eighteenth-century studies in the Americas and Atlantic world for The Evil Necessity: British Naval Impressment in the Eighteenth-Century Atlantic World. His other honors include the Oscar and Shoshana Trachtenberg Prize for Teaching Excellence and induction into the GWU Academy of Distinguished Teachers as well as research fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities at the Newberry Library, Chicago; the Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies, University of Michigan; the McNeil Center for Early American Studies, University of Pennsylvania; and the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon.

Welch, the youngest NHTOY winner ever, has taught social studies for twelve years at North Hills Middle School, where he encourages his students to learn from one another, centering his classroom around debate, open discussion, and inquisitive learning.

Inaugurated in 2004, the History Teacher of the Year Award highlights the importance of history education by honoring exceptional American history teachers from elementary through high school. The award honors one K-12 teacher from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools and US Territories. Winners of the state awards receive $1,000, an archive of Gilder Lehrman books and resources for their school library, and become finalists for the national award.

The deadline for 2019 nominations for National History Teacher of the year is March 31, 2019. Nominate a teacher today!