Pee Dee History teachers visit tobacco museum

The Teaching American History in South Carolina program, part of a nationwide Teaching American History federal grant program funded by the U.S. Department of Education, sent teachers to the S.C. Tobacco Museum in Mullins this past week.

Twenty-four teachers from the Pee Dee area paid visited the museum for a daylong session that included professional development. After morning a lecture from Lander University professor Kevin Witherspoon, the teachers collaborated in breakout sessions and discussed what they learned and how to improve their teaching skills. Witherspoon said topics covered included American History from 1865 to present day.

“We heard about World War II today and are just making our way forward from there,” Witherspoon said, calling the program exciting, he said he has worked three years with the seven-year-old initiative. Witherspoon said improving content knowledge is a focus.

“That’s a big part of it, getting them up-to-date on the history itself,” Witherspoon said, adding that the teachers get college credit for the two-week session. Teachers also meet during the school year, he said, and visit museums, libraries and other historic sites.

“It gives them an opportunity to see places that would be great ideas for field trips for their students,” he added. The response to the program is fantastic, he said, and gives teachers an opportunity to learn and meet “great people,” adding that instructors like Wardy Sanders is a master teacher who is positive and energetic and able to give the teachers new ideas.