For the past eight years, Room 200 has been the destination for all things advanced U.S. History. Mrs. Jenkins, our AP U.S. History teacher and Social Studies Department Chair, is one of Rosary’s most legendary teachers; she’s been up to some exciting things lately. That said, to get an update on APUSH and learn some fun facts about Mrs. Jenkins, make sure to keep reading!
What’s your favorite subject/event/era to teach about in U.S. History?
My favorite subject to teach in U.S. History is the Cold War.
What’s the hardest subject/event/era to teach about in U.S. History?
The hardest era to teach about in U.S. History is the Jim Crow era.
Why have you stuck with APUSH for so long?
The students who take APUSH have accepted the challenge that comes with APUSH; they want to pursue excellence in the arena of Social Studies. This forces me to stay in mental shape, to hone my skills as a historian, and to constantly refine and improve as a teacher.
Where do all our binders go at the end of the year? (For a little context, our final project in APUSH is an organized binder of all our notes and classwork from the year)
I hand them over to Rodrigo, the little mouse who works daily guarding my cabinet that holds all of the tests and scantrons. At the end of the year, he loads his dolly cart with all of the binders and takes them down to the dungeon with stone walls with only the light of torches to guide him.
Why do you like bison so much? (In other words, can you tell us about your college thesis paper?)
When I was 20 years old, Mr. Jenkins invited me on his family trip to South Dakota. His mother’s side of the family is originally from there. It was my first time seeing bison in person; I was struck by their majesty and beauty. That coupled with the fact that at the same time, I was doing my Bachelor’s Degree studies in history at Cal State Long Beach. The Professors in the U.S. History Department there were “frontier America” specialists so I had to choose a related topic for my senior thesis paper. I chose to compare the fate of the Plains Native Americans to the fate of the Bison.
It is also fascinating that they are one of the few large mammals native to our land, coupled with the fact that during a snow storm, they do not panic. Instead, they do the opposite! They hunker down, dig deep inside for mental strength, and simply wait for the storm to pass. I find this poetic…
Can you tell us a little bit about your Boston trip?
Recently, I was able to attend the National Council for the Social Studies conference in Boston, Massachusetts. I can’t think of a better town for history teachers to come to for inspiration and collaboration. The timing couldn’t have been better to surround myself with thousands of others who have dedicated their lives to guarding the sacred facts of our shared history!
I learned so much from my incredible fellow educators who inspired me to continue to seek new strategies and perspectives to bring back to the classroom and to also share with the other teachers in my department. Most importantly, I was reminded that history teachers are not alone; we are a tribe connected across the country by our commitment to better our nation by helping our students navigate our sometimes brutal, sometimes beautiful, but always complex history. I also got to eat the best chowder of my life, walk the Freedom Trail, visit the JFK library, and meet KEN BURNS…Boston was perfectly cold and gloomy and it was a truly wonderful time!
From her love for bison to meeting Ken Burns, Mrs. Jenkins is a unique and intelligent person who has had many amazing experiences! Moreover, we are looking forward to many more lectures in APUSH this year.
