By: Kyle Hilss

Teachers often desire to teach their students material that may not be part of the curriculum, but unfortunately, there are some factors that prevent that.

Two factors of public education that are popularly perceived as ultimate shortcomings are a pressure to teach to standardized tests and limited class time. These can prevent teachers from being able to cover material they believe is important, but that deviates from the standard curriculum set by end-of-the-year tests. Social studies teachers Lauren Williamson and Chris Gallagher have founded a new history book club to combat this problem.

The club gives students a historically significant book to read which they can then discuss at club meetings, which will be held weekly or biweekly. Students will be reading books based on twentieth century American History and Medieval Europe. Like any club, it is optional, so students do not have to worry about any consequences if the reading does not get completed.

Gallagher and Williamson created the club to give students a chance to learn outside of the curriculum without adding extra work to students’ already busy schedules.

“Both of us teach AP classes and we have had many conversations in the past about how we wish that our students had the ability to read more historical books beyond the textbook in class,” said Gallagher. “It’s hard to find the time to do that, and we just wish there was a way that we could expose [students] to those types of things.”

Approximately 40 people were present at the first club meeting.

“History gets a bad rap sometimes because everything is science and math, and those are great and important, but there are people who like to learn about history and then come and talk about what they read with each other and what they found interesting and what they learned,” said Gallagher.

“We want people to come together and to learn and to share,” he said.

History Book Club leader Lauren Williamson organizes club activities. Photo by Kyle Hilss

“One [goal] is to get more students engaged with history because by reading books that are more driven on one topic, rather than a broad survey, you get to dive a little bit deeper into it and it’s a skill students will need in college,” said Williamson, “And really to get students more engaged with other aspects of history. Mr. Gallagher and I just saw a need for trying to engage students more.”