Experiences of being taught LC history in the 1970s

bobbyss

I like history but it is not because of how I was taught it in the 1970s. What are your memories about this?

Our history teacher had great discipline. You would not want to be caught talking or messing around. But he was a terrible teacher.

I remember well the Irish history book we used. It was by M Tierney. There was at the end of a chapter a small paragraph on Dargan and the railways. Maybe about 10 lines. I also remember a question on the LC: Write an essay on the development of the Irish railways in the 19th century. Something along those lines. We did not have a chance.

We never got any handouts. No supplementary material whatsoever. Sometimes he would write for days on the blackboard and we would copy it down. No talking when he did that. And then he would never mention it again. I can never remember him talking to me personally about my work. Never mentioned any resources to go to.

Sometimes we might get a 'free class' and he would read Hibernia and we would just chat.

When I look back now and think about him! Laziness personified. Just clocking in the hours. At students' expense. It makes me so angry.

We never said that was not good enough. We couldn't. Who were we to do that? Teachers then were unquestioned. It was a bit like the baby homes with people not questioning what was happening.

What are your memories of being taught history back then?

Murph_D

I only did Inter Cert history, and here's why. My teacher was a great disciplinarian as well, very quick to produce the leather. He'd throw a surprise quiz and if you got it wrong you'd be lined up. He'd sing the scale - Do, Re, Me... as he progressed up the line with the slaps. He was a decent singer, actually, much better than his teaching. I was in an A class (a thing back then) but learned nothing and hated the subject. I love history now, having come to it via a different route during my postgrad education and research. There were some good things about my secondary education but this wasn't one of them!

Ricardo Montalban

I too regret not having had the benefit of THINK - PAIR - SHARE (or whatever new fangled buzz word teaching methodologies they have now!) 43 to 50 years ago (i.e. 1970 to 79). But I'm coping.

My memories of history lessons are mainly being told about some Collins lad who took a bunch of lead in Cork!

bobbyss

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119504014#Comment_119504014

Ours never used the strap. He never had to. He was one of those teachers who had this special 'thing'. Never shouted, never flustered. But we were all silent. Always. I thought of him in my first job as I passed by a class of thirty plus. The door was ajar and I peered in. You could hear a pin drop. What kind of magic do teachers like that have and why can't they spread it around. I have not been in mainstream education most of of my life but from the little experience I have of that area I would never have survived. I have tremendous respect for those teachers who work in tough schools. But at the same time you don't necessarily have to be in a tough school to endure a lot of stuff.

Stoles & Stokes! That's it. The authors of the European Leaving Cert history book I used. Dull isn't the word. Even the photographs were pathethic. All grainy. Black and white. Am beginning to sound like Frank Miisery McCourt!