For our latest Teacher Feature, we interviewed Social Studies teacher Ms. Mary Gallagher:
How did you come to SJHS? How long have you taught here? What drew you to working here?
Hi! My name is Ms. Gallagher! I came to St. Joseph High School in October of 2013. I was contacted by my high school alma mater, Bishop Kearney, and I was excited for the chance to teach at a CSJ school after having received a CSJ education myself. I believe in the mission of the school, and really value being in a Catholic educational environment.
What do you enjoy most about being a Social Studies teacher?
I find teaching Social Studies to be a lot of fun! I wanted to be a lot of different things growing up, like a dentist and a pediatrician, and I just realized as I got older that I really loved history. My grandfathers on both sides growing up would always tell me stories about their lives and what it was like in the past, and I was so interested in how people lived before this time, before the present. So, to be able to come into St. Joe’s and teach U.S. history was a dream come true because it’s something I genuinely love. I’m more interested in teaching than in becoming a history buff, but I am always open to learning more and more because history is never ending; there’s always something new to discover. My favorite moments as a teacher are when I get to hear students explain things in their own words, and listen to them debate. When they’re looking at something and they’re questioning why something is the way it is, or why an event happened, and I see that they are thinking about it – it’s great. They also offer a different perspective, oftentimes, from what I’m thinking, and it makes me realize, wow, I didn’t even consider looking at it that way. It’s a very conversational class!
What will students learn about in the classes you teach, and why do you think these topics are interesting?
Currently, I teach U.S. History, though in the past I’ve also taught Global. The US History curriculum begins with the Colonial period and ends with Barack Obama’s presidency, and there are major themes throughout: change vs. continuity, foreign policy, becoming a world power, economics. I think that what I and my students find most interesting are the wars – why do wars happen? We spend a lot of time talking about the Civil War, asking questions like “Was a war necessary to end slavery?” When discussing World War II, we consider how the world could be responsible for the death of 80 million people.
The Civil Rights Movement is always a popular topic, and in that unit I like to ask students, what’s more effective – using violence if necessary, or strictly employing peaceful means to bring change? I like to ask questions that are open-ended and see how students hash things out themselves, how they defend their arguments. Topics that allow for this kind of discussion are always the most interesting. As we look at these events it is always fascinating for students to discover how often the same kinds of feuds and rivalries and alliances that happen among teenagers and regular adults are often at the root of major world events.
Are you involved in any co-curricular clubs or activities? Tell us about them!
A lot of my time after school is dedicated to the Track and Cross Country teams, which I coach with Mr. St. Louis. I loved to run in high school and college, and when I came to St. Joseph’s the opportunity arose to start a team here. I think that running takes a special kind of person because track doesn’t have the same kind of inherent motivation as games do – so it requires a different type of persistence and dedication. I think athletics are a really important part of education because they teach you lifelong health and fitness skills while instilling virtues like friendship, self-discipline and perseverance.
Thank you, Ms. Gallagher!