Associate professor of history Dr. Michelle Morgan was recently honored with the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education.

She was nominated for the award by Dr. Kathleen Kennedy, head of the Department of History.

Morgan first learned she had been selected for the Governor’s Award during the Faculty Awards reception, when she was also being recognized for her Foundation Award for Excellence in Teaching.

“The committee selects the Governor’s Award from among the winners of the Foundation Award but does not tell the individual until the reception,” Morgan explained. “It was quite a surprise!”

The award does not have a monetary component, but Morgan received a plaque and attended a luncheon in Jefferson City, Missouri, that honored other Governor’s Award recipients.

Creating citizens and scholars through critical thinking

Morgan, who teaches American history with an emphasis on the American West and American empire, said her coursework spans both historical content and social studies education methodology.

“All of these courses engage my students with learning and teaching about both the laudable and the difficult moments of our country’s past,” Morgan explained. “Grounded in the scholarship of historical thinking and inclusive classroom practices, my teaching fosters students’ ability to ask rigorous historical questions, analyze sources and draw informed conclusions.”

Morgan believes her teaching, which she described as involving “an extensive amount of time digging into primary source materials,” cultivates important critical thinking skills that serve to help students develop as both citizens and scholars.

“[These skills] play a crucial role in preparing our pre-service social studies teachers for the challenges of teaching authentic history in our current environment,” she said.

Morgan cites her American West class as an example of her teaching method and strategy.

In this course, she requires her students to research a historical memorial or monument related to the American West.

Students analyze the commemorated event or person. They then analyze the creators of the memorial to identify and explore the meaning those creators wanted to convey.

From there, students write a proposal to add context, modify content or craft an addition to the memorial to provide a more nuanced interpretation of the past.

Encouraging and modeling civic engagement

Morgan, who has also served as the BSED Program Coordinator for pre-service teachers in the social sciences, encourages her students to practice civics by engaging in community resource drives, voter registration and student government activities.

She also models for students what she expects by civic engagement. She helped successfully lobby the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to address problems with the licensure test for student teachers.

“I then served on the DESE committee to develop the new format, which was a much better assessment for our students,” she said.

Award validates effort

For Morgan, the Governor’s award is both a source of pride and a touchstone reminding her that her efforts have been recognized and validated.

“The last several years have been the most challenging I’ve experienced as a teacher,” Morgan admitted. “All of us—students and teachers—continue to work our way through the ramifications of the pandemic.”

“Awards don’t reduce or erase the challenges,” she continued. “But my colleagues and students wrote amazing letters of support for my application, and a committee of my peers chose to select my work as demonstrating excellence.”

“Knowing that my work is seen and valued sharpens my focus and does motivate me to continue to push myself and my students,” Morgan added. “And it provides some additional evidence for me to tell my students that their work as teachers is seen and valued, too.”