Angela Addante
Class Year:
2022
Job Title:
6th Grade Special Education Social Studies Teacher, Lincoln Middle School, Berwyn, IL
Areas of Study:
History, Education
Hometown:
Addison, IL
What made you decide to become a History major at Lake Forest College?
I decided to become a history major at LFC because I took a class with Professor Batzell my freshman year and I was hooked! I fell in love with the inquiry based approach to history that he had, and I fell in love with the power history can have in shaping the world. As an education major, I wanted to be able to show my students how interesting history is just like Professor Batzell did for me. I continued this major because of the incredible Professors I met along the way. I had the privilege of studying under almost all the history staff at LFC, and just like my experience with Professor Batzell, I continued to have a deeper interest and passion for history with their teachings.
What was your favorite part of being a History major?
My favorite history classes were Professor Chen's Chinese Revolution courses. I absolutely loved hearing Professor Chen's personal accounts and the way he allowed us to explore our interests in the topic. I was so invested in writing my paper on the Youth Movements of the 1960's and had the honor of presenting it at the Student Symposium. Professor Chen really pushed all of us to dive deep and understand the content. He also used movies to help us better understand events throughout China. We loved it! Every week we would geek out about the films and our class would be so passionate about the topics we were talking about. We had a class of four, and it was such a close and intimate class. We all cared about each other and learned so much together!
What is something students considering majoring in History should know?
There's a lot you can do with a history major! The skills you gain from this field are applicable to so many fields post grad. Also the professors are EPIC!
Why is History relevant and important today?
History is the foundation to everything in this world. We can learn so much from our past and use it to create a better, more equitable future for everyone.
How have you used your history training after graduation?
I am a 6th Grade Special Education Social Studies Teacher. At Lake Forest I was able to practice a wide range of historical skills that I have been able to utilize in my own classroom. Just like I did on campus in my courses, I foster discussions with my students based on inquiry, understanding historical perspectives, and piecing together change over time. I push my students to understand history through a critical lens and have them grapple with parallels we see between our own society and those we read about. I have them analyze the past to better understand the present. I see students getting the same "aha" responses I had in my classes at Lake Forest which is so rewarding. Overall, I would say the history program at Lake Forest College set me up for success as a teacher.